


Strict VII

by happilylarry



Series: Strict [9]
Category: One Direction, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bottom Louis, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnant Louis, Smut, Top Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:17:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 75
Words: 177,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5934829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happilylarry/pseuds/happilylarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>yall bitches THOUGHT</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yall bitches THOUGHT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall bitches THOUGHT

_three years later_

 

Louis sighed and surveyed the kitchen. The top oven held the appetizers along with the dinner for the kids, and the bottom oven held the main course. The dessert was in the refrigerator. The house was spotless. The kids were being good and minding their own business.

 

“Beanie,” He turned to his oldest child, who had offered to help him. “What am I missing?”

 

Bean looked up from his book and looked around. Then, he shrugged. “I don’t know, mummy. Everything looks so nice.”

 

“Thank you, love.” Louis said, turning back around to stare at the kitchen. “But I can’t help but feel that something is missing.”

 

“Maybe you’re just waiting for daddy to get back?” Bean suggested. “Didn’t you send him out for something?”

 

Louis snapped his fingers and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “I think you’re right. You’re so smart.” Bean preened and went back to his book. He was pretty smart. “Okay, love. I’m going to go and call your daddy and then take a shower and get ready. Let me know if anything happens and don’t touch the ovens, okay?”

 

Bean nodded and Louis dialed Harry’s phone number. He climbed the stairs as it rang. He got voicemail. “Harry, love.” He said lightly. “I don’t think it takes thirty minutes to grab some lemons. Anyway, I trust that you’ll be back before six, which is when the dinner party starts. Drive safe! Love you, bye.”

 

He sighed and tossed his phone onto their bed. He and Harry had some renovations done on the house, such as expanding the kitchen into the garage and expanding the garage. They made the outside deck larger and got a brand new fence to go around their house. They redid the dining room and put a new fireplace in the den, and made the downstairs guest room bigger.

 

With these new changes, they decided to have a dinner party to celebrate. They invited Niall and Liam, of course, and Harry’s mum and dad, and his mum and dad. That was all they needed to help them celebrate.

 

He just hoped everything went over well.

 

-

 

When he was showered and dressed, he called Harry again. He was getting nervous, because he sent Harry out at four and it was nearing five-twenty-five. Again, he got Harry’s voicemail. _Hey, it’s Harry, leave a message and I’ll get back to you_. He sighed.

 

“Harry, where are you? Whatever game you’re playing, it isn’t funny anymore. I need those lemons to squeeze onto the Cornish hens. I needed you to be home an hour ago. I don’t care what you’re doing, just get home.”

 

He hung up and slid his phone into the pocket of his maroon chinos. He’d paired them with a cream colored cable-knit sweater and some TOMS. It was casual but also sort of nice. He made his way back downstairs and met Bean in the hallway.

 

“I was just coming to get you.” Bean said. “The oven is beeping.”

 

Louis ruffled Bean’s hair and they went into the kitchen. “Thank you for watching it for me.”

 

Bean nodded and sat down on a stool. “You look nice, mummy.” He complimented. “But you always look nice.”

 

“You’re so sweet, love.” Louis pulled the appetizers out of the oven and sat them down. He removed the mitts from his hands and went around to kiss the top of Bean’s head. “Now, since no one gave me a clear answer on what they wanted to eat, you and Lucas are getting a pizza and the rest are sharing these little dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets.”

 

“Okay. Do you want me to go upstairs and pick out a movie?” Bean asked, stepping down. Harry and Louis just recently allowed the boys to have a television in their room, and it was the hotspot of the house with the rest of the kids.

 

Louis nodded. “But make sure everyone wants to watch it. I’ll bring everything up when it’s done.” When Bean left, he checked on the Cornish hens. He thought it would be nice to serve those, and some grilled vegetables, and some mash. Everything was already prepared, he was just waiting for the hens to get a nice brown to them.

 

He checked on the appetizers in the warming oven before grabbing the brand new champagne flutes he’d bought and a bucket of ice. He put them in the dining room and surveyed the table. He’d broke out their wedding china and the table was beautifully set. He was proud of himself.

 

He put the champagne to chill and pulled out his phone. It was five forty-five and guests would be arriving any minute. He dialed Harry yet again, and got his voicemail, yet again.

 

“Harry,” He was growing angry. “You could at least have the decency to tell me that you’ve decided to skip out. I know you hate dinner parties but this is just rude. There is nothing preventing you from calling me to let me know. You’re being incredibly selfish right now.”

 

He hung up, wishing he had a landline he could slam down onto the receiver, and slid his phone back into his pocket. He shook his head and sighed. He couldn’t believe that Harry was being so selfish.

 

He walked over to the front door and peered out the window beside it. It was pouring rain out, and the sky was dark, only bright when lightning struck down. He looked for Harry’s headlights. Maybe Harry’s phone was dead and he got caught in traffic. Either way, Louis would still be angry.

 

He stepped away from the window and went into the kitchen. The top oven was beeping, and he slid out the kids’ food. He arranged it all on a tray with some drinks and carried it up to Bean and Lucas’s room. He pushed the door open.

 

Everyone was watching an older Disney movie, and Bean paused it when Louis entered. When he sat the tray down on Bean’s nightstand, he turned to face the kids. They all stared back at him expectantly. 

 

“Okay, boys. What happens if we make a mess?” He asked.

 

Ollie raised his hand. “We have to sleep outside!” He shouted. Theo clapped his hands and nodded. He agreed with his brothers suggestion.

 

“Never, Ollie.” He said to the six year old. “If there’s a mess, you won’t be allowed to eat in here anymore. Understood?”

 

“But what if it’s an accident?” Lucas asked.

 

“Sometimes Bella knocks things over!” Olivia told him. Then she whispered, “Sometimes I do it on purpose.”

 

“I know, Liv.” He said. “Believe me. But if it’s an accident, I understand. Just try to keep everything clean, okay? This is a privilege right now.”

 

“Okay.” They all said in unison. Except, there was a voice missing. Louis looked around the room.

 

“Where’s Archie?” He asked.

 

“He’s in the closet again.” Bean said, playing the movie again. Louis sighed and opened the closet door. Archie was terrified of thunderstorms and he always retreated to the closet when there was bad weather.

 

“Hey baby,” Louis crouched down next to Archie, who was curled up into a ball. “Would you like to come downstairs and help me with something?”

 

Archie nodded and crawled over to Louis. He wrapped his chubby little arms around Louis’ neck and held on tight. He felt so much safer in his mum's arms than he did in a closet. Louis closed the door to the boys’ room and carried Archie downstairs.

 

“I know you don’t like the bad weather, love.” He sympathized, grabbing one appetizer tray to put on the dining room. He did that for all three, and when he sat the last one down, he grabbed a little bit of bruschetta and handed it to the three year old.

 

“Thankies,” Archie said quietly, munching on the treat.

 

“You’re very welcome.” Louis replied. He straightened everything up one last time and checked the time. It was two minutes til, and Harry still had not even bothered to make contact. He pulled his phone out.

 

When he got Harry’s voicemail, he didn’t hold back. “You can sleep on the couch tonight, Harry Edward Styles. I cannot believe what you’re doing right now. Probably sitting at your desk at work right now. This isn’t fair. You promised that you were excited. Actually, don’t come home tonight. You can stay in a hotel for all I care.”

 

He hung up just as the doorbell rang. He put his phone away and went to answer it. He made sure the mat was pushed up against the bottom of the door before opening it. He didn’t want muddy footprints all over his house.

 

It was Niall and Liam. They came in after shaking the rain from their umbrellas. They wiped their shoes before taking their coats off.

 

“Bit of weather out there,” Niall grinned, looking around the house. “I haven’t even seen the renovations yet but already your house looks better.”

 

Liam waved to Archie and stepped up beside them. “I agree. Better than moving into a new house?” He asked.

 

Louis nodded and led them into the dining room. “Tons better.” He handed them each a full champagne flute. “We’ve acquired so much that moving would be a nightmare.”

 

Liam looked around. “Speaking of we, where’s Harry?”

 

Louis shifted Archie up further into his arms. “He’s not here. I sent him out for lemons two hours ago and he decided that he didn’t want to come to the dinner party. He’d rather go to work.”

 

Liam raised his eyebrows. “He said that?”

 

Louis shook his head. “No. He hasn’t responded to any of my messages or calls.”

 

Niall, who was nibbling on some shrimp, spoke up. “Maybe his phone is dead?”

 

“Maybe. But he’d find a way to call me and let me know.” Louis sniffed. “But let’s talk about something else. I don’t want to ruin the night.”

 

The doorbell rang once and then the door was opening. Jay and Anne trickled in, shaking their coats out, followed by Dan and Robin. Louis sat Archie down on a chair and met them all with a glass of champagne.

 

Anne took a hearty sip of hers as soon as she got it. “The drive up here was insane.” She explained when her glass was almost drained. “We have to reserve a hotel for the night.”

 

“Nonsense,” Louis said. “You can stay here. It’s free, and you can see your grandbabies.”

 

“I’m always a sucker for those babies.” Anne sighed. “Where are they?”

 

“Upstairs, watching a movie. Archie is down here though. He’s scared of thunderstorms.” He gestured to the three year old, who was standing up on the chair, reaching for more food. Anne pushed past Louis and went straight for him.

 

“Where’s Harry?” Jay asked, following Louis into the dining room.

 

Louis shrugged. “Probably at work. Sent him out for lemons and he decided that he’d rather work.”

 

Jay’s face fell. “Oh no!” She frowned. “I’d be livid.”

 

“Oh, I am.” Louis said with a smile. “But I’m not going to let it ruin the night. Please, eat something. I need to go and check on the main course.”

 

He left the dining room, and after checking on the hens, he shot off a, s _o five minutes in and almost everyone has asked for you. imagine their surprise when they heard that you’d probably rather work than come here and visit w your own family_. With an angry emoji, he sent it.

 

He stirred the mash and checked on the sides before heading back into the dining room. Everyone was admiring the new dining room.

 

“Louis, this is just beautiful.” Anne commented.

 

Jay nodded in agreement. “Makes everything seem bigger and brighter.”

 

“Honestly, doing the renovations that you did was a lot smarter than moving to a completely new house.” Dan said. “You two increased the value of this house.”

 

Robin nodded. “And saved yourselves the headache of moving.” He reached for a shrimp and popped it into his mouth.

 

From there, everyone sort of tapered off into their own conversations. Louis kept checking his phone, looking for anything from Harry. He sighed when he didn’t see anything. He ate a little bit of everything before bringing out the main course.

 

Everyone ooh’d and ahh’d when they saw everything. From then on, it was the sounds of forks and knives clinking against the china as everyone ate. Archie was satisfied with just a little bit of food. From there, he was content to sit between his two grandmas and be loved on.

 

Louis brought out desert around seven thirty, and again, everyone was too busy eating to talk. It was a nice silence; a happy one. He had a proud feeling every time he looked up and saw someone enjoying themselves.

 

-

 

“Still no word from Harry?” Jay asked, bringing in some dirty dishes from the dining room. Louis was standing at the sink, hand washing the dishes. He didn’t want to put his wedding china in the dishwasher.

 

He shook his head. “Nope.” He answered, taking the plates from his mother to rinse them off. “I told him to stay at a hotel tonight.”

 

“Why?” Jay questioned. She began to put the leftovers away in plastic containers.

 

He shrugged. “Heat of the moment sort of thing. I didn’t mean it. He knows I didn’t mean it. I was just frustrated that he hadn’t given me any warning or anything.”

 

Jay clicked her tongue. “I know, dear. Husbands are frustrating.”

 

“Heard that,” Dan sang, carrying in more dishes.

 

Jay made a kissing face at him. “But not you, dear.” She said sarcastically. “Never you.”

 

Dan leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, lovey. Louis, Robin and I are going to go and look at the deck.”

 

“Don’t get my den muddy!” He shouted after his dad. He shook his head and looked over at his mother. “ _Very_ frustrating.”

 

He made quick but careful work of doing the dishes and putting them away. Niall and Liam helped pick up the dining room, and Anne kept Archie company in the den. When everything was done, Louis had a feeling of satisfaction.

 

He’d hosted his first ever dinner party, and it was a success. He was so proud of himself. Though Harry’s presence would have made it better, it was a grand night.

 

-

 

Just as his mother and father were about to leave, there was a knock on the door. Niall and Liam paused from putting on their shoes, and Jay stopped sliding her coat on.

 

“Expecting anyone?” Dan asked.

 

Louis shook his head and made his way to the door. “No. I don’t think I invited anyone else.”

 

Behind him, Anne whispered to Jay, “I don’t think Harry would knock, either.”

 

Louis swung the door open and his heart dropped into his stomach. His whole body froze as he stared directly in front of him. Two policemen were standing on his porch, holding their hats to their chests.

 

“Mr. Styles?” One asked. “There’s been an accident.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally made everything up so go easy on me in the comments people do it for the sake of fiction

_Hit head on by a drunk driver...hydroplaned before coming to a brief stop...t-boned by another car...damage beyond repair to the front of the vehicle...passenger unconscious and unresponsive upon arrival...transported immediately to the nearest trauma center..._

 

The details given to him by the policeman were swimming around in Louis' head. He couldn't think of anything but that. He kept picturing Harry's black Escalade being crushed by two different cars. He kept picturing Harry laying inside of his car, possibly dying. He wanted to panic. He wanted to throw up and then he wanted to panic some more. Of course, his mother wouldn't let him. She'd forced him to go to the hospital with Anne and Robin. 

 

He'd initially refused to go. 

 

He didn't want to see Harry, broken and bruised in a hospital bed. He wanted to see Harry walking through the door, virtually unharmed. He wanted to see Harry lifting up Archie and he wanted to see him press messy kisses to each of their babies faces. He wanted to see Harry  _alive._ And from what he was told, he wasn't sure if Harry would live much longer. 

 

When they went to the hospital, Robin had to physically put him into the car. He stood outside the door, getting drenched in the downpour. He didn't want to go. He wanted to go back before there was a knock on the door. He wouldn't answer if he could go back in time. He would ignore them until they went away, and then he would continue on with his night in ignorance. 

 

But, things never worked like that. Robin drove slowly and carefully, braking when necessary and unnecessary. When they reached the hospital, Louis shook his head and clung to the seat belt. Again, Robin had to remove him from the car. He walked as slowly as possible through the front doors of the St. Mary's Trauma Center wing of the St. Mary's hospital. When the smell of antiseptic hit his nostrils, his stomach rolled. 

 

"Harry Styles?" Anne asked in a quivering voice. "He was in an accident?" 

 

The nurse shuffled some papers and clicked through her computer before nodding. "He's in surgery still."  _Still_ , Louis thought. "You can wait in the intensive care unit." She said nothing further and Robin led them down a series of hallways until they reached it. There were no other families and Louis didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Probably a good thing. It meant no one was dying. 

 

Anne sat down in the chair and let out a heavy exhale. Robin opted to pace the floor. Louis just stared at the wall, gnawing on his lip. What if Harry died on the table? What if he never got to look into Harry's froggy green eyes and say the words  _I love you_ again? What if he had to raise seven children on his own? What would he do if they asked where their daddy was? 

 

He didn't realize he'd started crying until Anne moved from her chair in haste and sat beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him back and forth. She petted his hair and whispered things into his ear; things only a mother could say. 

 

"Sh, love," She whispered. "It'll be alright...everything will be fine." She wouldn't even let up when he began shaking his head back and forth. He didn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it from her and he wouldn't believe it from the doctors. The only way he would believe that everything would be fine is if Harry himself said it. If Harry would walk out of the operating room, look him straight in the eye, and tell him. 

 

But, that didn't really seem like it was going to happen, so he chose instead to lean heavily on Anne and cry, thinking of all the worst case scenarios he could. 

 

-

 

At two forty-eight in the morning, they were approached by a doctor. He was wearing his surgery scrubs and cap. Louis was the first to stand, followed by Robin, then Anne, who had dozed off. 

 

"Are you the family of Mr. Styles?" He asked. When there was a collective head nod, he continued. "I'm Doctor Tanner, and I believe you all want some answers." Again, a collective head nod. He gestured to the chairs. "Please, sit. This could take awhile." Louis let out a few tears but he sat next to Anne, who clutched his hand. 

 

"Is Harry going to be okay?" Robin asked.

 

Dr. Tanner hesitated. "At approximately four forty-nine, Harry was brought in with severe injuries. He suffered from whiplash, which is the most common injury in car accidents. His skull is fractured in two different places, he's got multiple bruises and contusions along his face and neck. His collarbones are broken from the force of his seat belt, he's got eight broken ribs, which lead to a punctured and collapsed lung. He had intra-abdominal bleeding and his stomach and kidneys were affected. He broke his left leg and his right wrist." 

 

Anne, who was struggling to keep her composure, sniffled. "Why was he in surgery?" She asked. 

 

"We went in to repair the lung. Now, his chest was crushed in the accident, but thankfully nothing was broken. If the impact had broken his sternum, then that would mean possible trauma to the heart. We realigned his collarbone and put some pins in it. We explored his abdomen and we sealed off what was causing the internal bleeding." 

 

"What about his head?" Robin spoke up. "You said he had skull fractures." 

 

Doctor Tanner nodded. "So, this may make you feel better, or it could make you feel worse." He began. "Skull fractures, if not serious, will heal themselves. Harry's CT scan showed that it was not serious. There are no brain bleeds, no cerebrospinal fluid leaking from his nose or ears. But, with the force of the impact, there may be some amnesia." 

 

"What do you mean?" Anne asked. "My son won't remember me?" 

 

"Oh, no," Dr. Tanner corrected himself. "If he experiences any, it will most likely be short term. Now, this was the first of many surgeries for Harry. We're bringing him to his room shortly so that he can rest before we go in and fix his back." 

 

"His back?" Anne became shrill. "Will he be paralyzed?" 

 

"It's hard to tell." Dr. Tanner said honestly. "We'll have to take more extensive x-rays and another MRI before we can determine how to correctly fix him to where he has full function." 

 

"What do you think is wrong?" Robin asked. 

 

"Well, the MRI we took earlier showed several compressed discs and pinched nerves. When we get in there, we'll know exactly how much damage was done and if his spinal cord was compromised at all." Dr. Tanner explained. 

 

Anne nodded. "Okay," She said. "Okay. When can we see him?" 

 

"I'll let you know when. They have to set him up to a breathing machine. The collapsed lung needs time to heal." Dr. Tanner stood. "It shouldn't take long." He walked away, and when he was gone, Louis let out a shaky breath. He was still trying to process everything that had happened to Harry. Was he even Harry anymore? 

 

Anne let out a heavy breath and stood. "I'm going to go and get some coffee. Do you want anything?" She asked both Louis and Robin. Robin nodded, and Louis shook his head. He was wide awake. 

 

-

 

When allowed, Louis had let Anne and Robin go see Harry first. He wanted to be alone with his husband so that he could cry in peace. He waited outside Harry's door for maybe five minutes before Robin led Anne out. She was crying into a tissue. When it was his turn, Louis prepped himself. He had no idea what waited for him behind those hospital doors, and he was scared to find out. 

 

Finally, he pushed it open slowly. There was only one light in the room, and it cast a dim shadow. He focused on the bed, where Harry was. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He took a few more steps and stopped at the end of the hospital bed. The loud beeps of one of the many machines next to Harry synced with his heartbeat. 

 

He focused his eyes on Harry's legs, which were covered up, but he could make out the bulky cast they had put on his left one. He trailed his eyes up until they landed on Harry's mottled face. He let out a sob and the dam burst. He let his legs carry him to the side of Harry's bed, and he grasped Harry's good hand. The skin was warm, reassuring him that Harry was alive. 

 

He looked behind him and pushed the chair he found up next to the bed. He sat down and let out a few deep breaths. The tears were still falling, and his nose was running, and he probably looked disgusting, but Harry was alive. He was in the hospital bed, not down in the morgue. He gripped Harry's hand again and pressed a few kisses to it. 

 

"I love you," He said shakily. "I love you, I love you, I love you." He repeated it a few more times. "I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, I love you, and you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I wish I never sent you out for lemons." He let out another embarrassingly loud sob and let his head drop onto the bed. His hand still held Harry's. 

 

He cried into the stark white sheets for a bit, squeezing Harry's hand every time he felt like he couldn't breathe. After what felt like ages, he tired himself out. He sniffled a few times before blinking heavily. His head felt like it weighed ten pounds and the position he was in felt like he was laying on a cloud. He squeezed Harry's hand once more before he let the exhaustion take over. 

 

-

 

The most gentle nudge on his shoulder woke him up the next morning. His head snapped up and he blinked a few times, trying to make sense of where he was. Then it hit him. He was still in Harry's hospital room, holding Harry's hand. He looked over to see what had woken him. It was a nurse. 

 

"I'm sorry, but we're moving him into surgery. He's getting pins put in his leg and they're going to work on his back." She explained in a soft voice. We have to move his bed out, but I've asked another nurse to bring in a cot. Your step mother said that it was probably best if you stayed in the room with him." 

 

"I can do that?" He asked. 

 

She looked around before leaning closer. "Technically, we're not supposed to let family members stay the night in patients rooms, but we do it anyway. We've found that it increases recovery." 

 

He wanted to cry again. "Thank you." He stood up and leaned over Harry's un-moving body. He ignored the mask across Harry's mouth and kissed his cheek softly. "I love you. Please be okay." 

 

He stood back as they unhooked Harry and wheeled him out. He was maybe alone for two minutes before another nurse was bringing a cot in. She sat it up and smiled at him. "Your mother in law told me to tell you that she and her husband went home. She also told me to tell you that she was going to be back later today, she just wanted a shower and a nap and to pack a few clothes." 

 

He nodded and sat down on the cot. 

 

The nurse grinned this time. "She  _also_ said that I should make sure that you sleep today." 

 

"Of course she did." Louis mumbled. He doesn't think he'll be sleeping while Harry is in surgery  _again_. "Did she say when she would be back?" 

 

The nurse shook her head. "But I'm assuming as quick as possible." She handed Louis a thin blanket. "Now, you get yourself comfortable. We'll have someone update you periodically, okay?" 

 

Louis nodded and watched her leave. When he was left alone in the hospital room, he pulled out his phone and dialed his mum. He made note of the depleting battery. It rang one and a half times before she was answering. 

 

"Louis, baby?" She asked in a worried voice. "Is everything okay? How is he?" 

 

He waited a few seconds before replying. He didn't want to start sobbing on the phone. "He's not good, mum." He answered. "He hurt his back pretty bad, and his insides are a mess. He hit his head and the doctors say that he could have amnesia." 

 

"Oh no." Jay whispered. "But he's alive, baby." 

 

"But what if he doesn't remember me or the babies?" Louis asked, laying down. "What if he freaks out and doesn't want to see me? What if he  _dies_ during this surgery?" 

 

"Stop talking like that," Jay demanded. "Harry's strong, baby. You know that. Now, focus on that. Harry will get better, and he'll take time to do so. You need to remember that. He won't be coming home any time soon, love." 

 

Louis sniffled. "I know." He bit his lip to prevent any sobs from escaping. He blinked up at the ceiling a few times. "How's Anne?" 

 

"She took a shower and went straight to bed." Jay told him. "She's pretty shaken up. She'll be back in no time. You should have come home too, baby. Rested while he's in surgery." 

 

"I can't leave him, mum. I need to be here in case something happens." Louis replied quietly. 

 

"Baby, it's seven in the morning. You need to sleep." Jay said. 

 

"I can't." He said weakly. 

 

Jay sighed. "Alright. At least eat something then. I know how you get when you worry. You need to keep your strength up." 

 

"I will." Louis promised. "I'll call you later. Could you tell Anne to bring my charger when she comes?" 

 

"Of course. I love you baby." Jay said. 

 

"Love you too." He hung up and buried his face in his hands. The few deep breaths he took did nothing to keep the sobs from coming. He was almost glad he was alone so that no one would see what a mess he was. He allowed himself to cry for a few more minutes before composing himself. Crying would get him nowhere. He wiped his eyes and stood up. He might as well go and get some caffeine while he was waiting.

 

-

 

Anne and Robin returned around nine. They entered the waiting room right before the doctor did. Anne was relieved to have made it back in time for an update, and she collapsed into a chair. Although she had showered and slept, she still looked terrible. 

 

Dr. Tanner stood in front of them, still wearing his scrub cap and gown. "The surgery we did today on Harry was to set his leg and to further explore his back. His leg is fine and should heal quite nicely. We found several herniated discs, which we repaired with no problem." 

 

"And his spine?" Louis asked, bracing himself. 

 

"Completely untouched. Mr. Styles will have full function of his legs, once his back completely heals. He may experience back troubles later on in life - " Dr. Tanner explained. 

 

"He already has back problems." Louis interrupted. 

 

"Well, hopefully we fixed everything up." Dr. Tanner gave them a smile. "The surgery was minimally-invasive, so he doesn't have a whole lot of stitches, and his recovery time will be quicker. We're cleaning him all up and sending him back to his room shortly." 

 

Anne sighed in relief. "Is that it? Is he done with the surgeries?" 

 

Dr. Tanner nodded. "For now. Something could come up further down the line that may require immediate attention. Mr. Styles was very lucky. I've seen people hurt a lot more from a lot less." 

 

Louis nodded. He watched the doctor leave before sighing in relief. Harry was going to be fine. Harry was lucky. He repeated that in his head until he saw them wheeling Harry back down the hall. All three of them stood and waited until Harry was hooked back up before entering the room. Anne eyed the cot. 

 

"Did you sleep?" She asked. 

 

He shook his head and took his spot in the chair right next to Harry. He leaned forward and grabbed Harry's hand. "I couldn't. I was worrying too much." He rubbed his thumb across Harry's knuckles and stared at his unconscious husband. He didn't miss Anne's heavy sigh. "I will though," He said. "I just wanted to make sure Harry was okay." 

 

"Just don't make yourself sick over it." Robin said. "You know if Harry was awake he'd be forcing you to sleep." 

 

Louis smiled a tiny smile. "Yeah, he would." 

 

-

 

Louis doesn't remember falling asleep, but he was jolted awake some time later. He must have been dreaming because he felt like he was falling. He blinked a few times and lifted his head. He was met with groggy green eyes staring back at him. He sat up straight and gasped, looking around the room. Anne and Robin weren't in there. 

 

"Harry?" He asked. 

 

Harry nodded slowly. Then, he spoke in a raspy voice. "Who are you?" 

 

Louis' heart dropped and his eyes pricked with tears. "You don't...you don't remember me?" He asked quietly. 

 

Harry shook his head slowly. "I would remember someone as beautiful as you." Harry said. 

 

Louis blushed. "Harry, do you remember  _anything_?" 

 

"No. But I hurt all over." He glanced down at himself. "Was I in an accident?" 

 

Louis nodded. "Yes, you were. You scared me to death." He grasped Harry's hand again. Harry glanced down at it. 

 

"Are we dating?" He asked. "Is that why you're holding my hand?" 

 

Louis let out a laugh. "No, we're not dating." He said. Harry's face fell, so he explained further. "We're married, love." 

 

"We are?" Harry's face lit up. "I married you? Oh my God. You're breathtaking." 

 

"You're talking nonsense," Louis blushed again. "Do you want me to get the nurse to give you more pain medicine?" 

 

Harry nodded. 

 

"It'll put you back to sleep, baby." Louis said. 

 

Harry shook his head. 

 

"Please, Harry," His voice broke. "I don't want you to be in pain. It'll only put you back to sleep for a little while." 

 

"Don't cry." Harry whispered. "I'll go back to sleep, just please don't cry." 

 

"You will?" He pressed the call button before Harry could answer. A few short seconds later, the nurse walked in. When Louis explained things to her, she gladly upped Harry's dose and left. When Harry's eyes started getting heavier, Louis leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up, darling. I promise." 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> e v e r y t h i n g i s m a d e u p 
> 
> g o w i t h i t

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Harry said after waking up for the second time. Louis had hoped that he would remember, but he still didn't. Dr. Tanner said it was normal, but if it lasted more than 12 hours, they would do more CT scans. "We got matched in October, and by the end of November, you were pregnant?" 

 

Louis nodded. "That's right. I hate to say it, but you weren't thrilled. Kids weren't in your future." 

 

"Well," Harry shrugged. "You said it was a boy?" 

 

Louis nodded again. "Yes. A big baby boy. I was pregnant for forty weeks. Exactly forty. He was huge." 

 

A small smile played on Harry's lips. Louis knew that he was smug about giving Louis big, healthy babies. "His name?" 

 

"He's named after you." Louis told him. "Harry Edward Styles. But we call him Bean."

 

At that, Harry grinned. "Why?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "I thought he looked like a bean when he was in my tummy, and the name stuck." 

 

"So he's pretty spoiled then?" Harry asked. Then, he answered his own question. "Of course he is. He'd have to be. Only children are always spoiled." 

 

Laughter bubbled out of Louis, making Harry frown. "Harry, Bean isn't our only child." 

 

"We have two?" Harry asked excitedly, eyebrows lifting. 

 

Louis laughed again. "Babe, we have seven. Well, six, but that's a long story and you'll remember soon enough." 

 

Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped and his eyebrows almost shot off his forehead. " _Seven_ _?_ " He looked bewildered. "I got  _seven_ babies out of you?" 

 

Louis nodded. "I only had six of them, remember that. But yes, we have a full house." 

 

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking. "What are their names?" 

 

"Well, of course there's Bean, and then Lucas, and then the twins, Ollie and Theo, and then Olivia, and Bella, she's the daughter of our best friends. And then there's Archie. He's the youngest." 

 

Harry's grin almost split his face. "Five boys?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Yes. I see you're just as thrilled about it now as you were then." 

 

"Olivia and Bella, tell me about them." Harry asked. 

 

"Well, for starters, you adore them. They both have you wrapped around their little fingers." Louis told him. 

 

"Sounds about right." Harry said. Then, he asked, "Earlier, you said Bella the daughter of a friend. What did you mean?" Harry asked. 

 

Louis paused, carefully choosing his words. "Zayn and Perrie, love. Zayn was a doctor here and Perrie was our baby nurse. She helped deliver some of our babies." 

 

"What happened?" Harry questioned. He was staring intently at Louis. 

 

"They got into a pretty bad car accident a few years ago. They uh, they died. We were both torn up about it for awhile, but we were Bella's godparents. We got custody of her by the end of the week." Louis explained. 

 

Harry nodded solemnly. "Do you - do you have pictures? Of our kids?" 

 

Louis gave him a look. "Are you kidding? I've got all sorts." He stood up from the chair and walked to get his phone. 

 

"Holy shit." He heard Harry say behind him. "Oh my God." 

 

He grabbed his phone and turned around. "What?" 

 

Harry's eyes trailed up and down Louis' body. "I just can't believe it." 

 

Louis furrowed his brows. "Can't believe what?" He stood next to Harry's hospital bed and stared down at his husband. 

 

"That I got you pregnant six times." Harry answered. 

 

Louis grinned. "Only five, love. Twins, remember?" 

 

"God, I bet you looked  _magnificent._ " Harry said lowly." He looked up at Louis, down to his waist, and back up to Louis. "Can I - can I touch you?" 

 

"Keep it PG, if you absolutely have to touch." Louis said, stepping up closer. He watched Harry reach forward hesitantly, and he sighed when Harry's good hand wrapped around one hip. Harry looked like he was in heaven. 

 

"How are we in bed?" He asked suddenly, hand still wrapped tightly around Louis' waist. 

 

"Very compatible." Louis said. "Is that the answer you were looking for?" 

 

"Like what do we do?" Harry pressed. "You're on bottom, clearly." 

 

Louis gasped. "And how do you know?" 

 

"I saw your bum earlier." Harry said. Then, he must have gotten a little slap-happy or the meds kicked in or something, because he was leaning forward. "I'm sorry baby I love your bum so much can I touch it?" He asked in one run-on sentence. 

 

"Later, love." Louis promised. "When you're all better, you can touch it all you want. Anyways, to answer your question, you do and say things in bed that would put a sex worker to shame." Then, he waved his phone back and forth. "Now, you wanted to see your children?" 

 

Harry leaned back immediately and nodded eagerly. "Please. Wow. Seven babies." He shook his head slowly and waited for Louis to show him. 

 

"Okay." Louis scooted closer and held his phone up. "This is baby Bean." He let Harry gaze at the picture for a few moments before switching them. "And this is baby Lucas." 

 

He flipped through dozens of pictures, from their first child's birth to hours before the dinner party. He ended with the picture of Archie standing on the chair, leaning over the dining table to get some food. When he was done, he locked his phone and looked up at Harry, who looked blown away. 

 

"I know it's a lot..." Louis said. "How do you feel?" Harry took a deep breath, and Louis prepared himself, just in case Harry said it was too much for him. 

 

"I feel like I'm on cloud nine." Harry said. Then, he gestured to his broken body. "Well, not physically, obviously. But mentally? Emotionally? I'm over the moon." 

 

Louis smiled. "You're not just saying that because the meds are kicking in?" 

 

Harry's grin was a little loopy. "Course not." He allowed Louis to lay the bed down and help him get situated. Louis sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. 

 

Harry was on the verge of sleep when he turned and looked at Louis. "You'll be here when I wake up?" 

 

Louis nodded and leaned forward, kissing Harry. "Of course. Will _you_ be here when you wake up?" 

 

Harry looked a bit confused before nodding. "I'll try." He closed his eyes, and when he was asleep, Louis sighed and rested his chin where their hands were clasped. 

 

He really doesn't know how many times he'll be able to explain everything to Harry again.

 

-

 

 For the four and a half hours Harry slept, Louis walked around the hospital. He spent most of that time at the nursery, looking at all of the brand new babies. When he was tired of walking around, he made his way back up to Harry's room, yawning into his fist the whole elevator ride. 

 

He was expecting Harry to still be sleeping. He wasn't expecting Harry to be sitting up in bed. And he certainly didn't expect Harry to point a finger at him and say, "You haven't been sleeping." 

 

Louis looked from Harry to Anne and Robin, who were smiling. Louis knew Anne had told Harry. He took a step into the room, feeling ready to burst into tears. 

 

"You remember?" He asked instead. Harry nodded. 

 

"I do." He held a hand out and Louis took the few steps necessary to take it in his. Harry squeezed it. "Baby," he said softly. "Why haven't you been sleeping?" 

 

He shrugged and a few tears escaped him. Anne and Robin chose to leave that moment, and when the door closed, Louis let himself cry. Harry tried to soothe him as best as he could. He sat up, ignoring the screaming pain coursing through his body. Injuries be damned. His baby was crying and exhausted and stressed out. 

 

"I can't." Louis answered, leaning forward so that Harry didn't have to move as much. He sighed when his cheek rested against Harry's shoulder. He ignored the scratchy material of the hospital gown. 

 

"Why?" Harry asked, using his good, unbroken hand to rub in between Louis' shoulder blades. He knew why though. 

 

"You  _scared_ me, Harry. To death. I thought you were dead." Louis answered, face still buried in Harry's gown. "And when we got here the doctors told us you were in surgery." He pulled back and stared at Harry. The bruises across Harry's face were still an ugly, mottled purple/yellow/brown mix. It hurt Louis looking at them. "You expect me to sleep when you're in surgery for a car wreck? One that could have killed you?" 

 

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry I scared you." He pushed away the hair from Louis' forehead. "You look exhausted." 

 

"I look better than you do." Louis replied without thinking. Before he could open his mouth to apologize, Harry was laughing. Though after a few short bursts, he stopped and clutched at his chest. Louis bit his lip. 

 

"You always look better than I do." Harry said a few moments later. He had to stop and breathe through the pain in his torso. He settled and looked at Louis. "Will you sleep for me?" 

 

"Harry, I can't - " Louis protested. 

 

"You  _have_ to. One of us needs to be in tip-top shape, and it obviously can't be me." He sighed and took Louis' hand. "I need you to sleep." He really couldn't stand the sad look on Louis' exhausted face any longer. Louis needed to be asleep twenty-four hours ago. 

 

"I just can't." Louis replied weakly. "Something could go wrong." 

 

"I understand where you're coming from, baby. If it were you in this bed, I'd be tearing the hospital apart, getting you the best care imaginable. But you  _know_ that you'd be pissed at me for not sleeping. Don't even try to deny it. You'd bitch at me until I slept." 

 

Louis bit his lip. It was't untrue. He finally sighed and nodded, wiping the leftover tears on his face. "Okay. I'll  _try_. Does that answer suffice?" He got off the bed and leaned down to wrap his arms carefully around Harry, trying to find a spot that wasn't injured. He kissed Harry's dry lips and made a mental note to swipe some chapstick across them the next time Harry fell asleep. 

 

He moved over to the cot and sat down on it, kicking his shoes off. The curtains were already drawn, so he laid back and covered up. He rolled over onto his side and stared over at Harry, who was looking back. "Happy now?" He asked. 

 

A slow grin stretched across Harry's darkened face. "Yes. Because after you sleep, we're going to fight about you eating something." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and huffed, tugging the blanket up over himself. Little did Harry know, at this point, he could ask Louis to walk straight into traffic and Louis would do it. He would  _never_ not do anything Harry ever asked of him again. 

 

-

 

When Louis woke up some hours later, he was relieved to see that Harry was still alive and very much awake. He greeted his injured spouse with a kiss and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran his hand up and down Harry's arm. 

 

"Are you going to eat something now?" Harry asked. "Robin and my mum are down in the cafeteria if you want to go and meet them." 

 

Louis, feeling refreshed after his nap, nodded. "I'm scared to leave you. I don't want anything to happen to you." 

 

"Nothing is going to happen.  A nurse might come in and poke and prod me some more, but that's it." Harry assured him. "I wish you wouldn't worry as much as you did." 

 

Louis removed his hand from Harry's arm and stared at him. "Are you kidding?" He asked. "You're asking me not to worry? You're in a hospital bed, for God's sake, Harry! You were in a terrible car wreck and you're asking me not to worry?"

 

"Now you're getting hysterical." Harry commentated. 

 

Louis stood up from the bed. "I think you're being very selfish right now, Harry." He was so frustrated with Harry right now. "And I don't want to have this conversation so I'm going to go and find your mum and dad." He left the room without saying goodbye to Harry. He rode the elevator down to the cafeteria and found Robin and Anne quickly. He pulled up a chair next to them and huffed. 

 

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, stirring his coffee. 

 

"Harry, that's what." Louis replied. 

 

"What's he done?" Anne asked. How Harry could be causing so much trouble while in a hospital bed was beyond her, but she'd listen and give her advice anyway. 

 

"He's complaining that I worry too much." Louis answered, reaching forward to grab the empty pink sugar packet. He began to tear it into small pieces. "I  _have_ to worry. He's in a hospital bed. I can't not worry when he's like this. I worry all the time." 

 

Anne rubbed his shoulder. "I know, love. It's part of being a spouse and a mother. You worry all day every day." She really had no answer for what her son said. "Maybe he just wants you to focus on what's going right instead of what could go wrong." She suggested after a beat. 

 

Louis was silent. "I guess." He finally said, brushing the torn up pieces to the side. "I just need him to know that I can't just  _turn_ off my worrying." 

 

"You should go and tell him that then." Robin said. He checked his watch. "While he's still awake. The nurse always comes in and gives him more meds around four." 

 

Louis nodded and pushed his chair away from the table. He stood and thanked them. "I don't want to fight with him." 

 

Anne nodded and she and Robin stood as well. "We'll walk back with you." She said. As they began walking, she told him about her plans for the evening. "I think Robin and I are going to go back to yours and see the kids. Jay said that they've been asking about you two non-stop." 

 

Louis' heart felt heavy. "Oh no." He said, pressing the elevator button. "I haven't been keeping my mum in the loop." 

 

"She understands." Robin said to him. "Anne has been letting her know." They stepped onto the elevator and Anne pushed the floor button. "She's worried though. Call her tonight." 

 

Louis nodded. "I will." He said. "What have you been telling the kids?" 

 

"Your mum told them that you two had to go somewhere important and that you'd be back soon." Anne said. "But I think Bean knows what's going on. He told your mum that he saw the police officer that night, standing in the door." 

 

"Oh no." Louis felt ill. "Did he hear what the officer said?" 

 

"The only thing he told your mum is that he knew that Harry was in the hospital. He said he got scared and ran back to his room after that." Anne informed him. They stepped off of the elevator and headed to Harry's room. "He's been quiet the past two days." 

 

"My poor baby." Louis wanted to hold his first born. "I should go home tonight, just for a little while. I think I should tell them. What do you think?"

  
Anne shrugged. "I think that you should do what you think is best. Bean and Lucas can take it. The rest probably won't understand." She said. Louis nodded and pushed the door to Harry's room open. He knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped in, and he didn't hesitate to rush over to Harry's side. Harry was  _so_ pale and his lips were blue. 

 

He wasn't breathing. 

 

"Oh my God!" He shouted. Anne froze and Robin began to yell for a doctor. Louis searched Harry all over, looking for a sign of life. When he didn't find one, he began to shake Harry, completely forgetting about his injuries. "Wake up! Wake up!" He cried. A few seconds later, he was pushed aside roughly by a few doctors. He watched in horror as they flipped him over to his side carelessly, sliding a white pad underneath him. They let him go and when he was on his back, they tore the gown from his chest. 

 

Louis grew sick at the sight of Harry's chest. It was bruised almost completely, and he had stitches and lacerations all over. He wanted to puke at the sight. Instead, he kept his eyes trained where they were cutting a hole in his chest. He ignored the way they were shouting directions at each other and focused right on that spot. They poured a brown liquid all over his chest before slicing right into his skin. He had to look away when a doctor shoved a gloved finger in the cut, opening it up. 

 

He glanced up at Harry's head, which was tipped back. Two doctors were leading a tube down his throat. He looked back to Harry's side, where they were inserting a tube through the small hole. He was unfortunate enough to be standing close enough to have his shirt and legs covered in the blood the fell from the tube. 

 

That time, he really did throw up. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im on twitter @therealhappily


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two days since Harry had seen Louis. He doesn't really know or remember what happened. One minute he was fine, and the next minute, he was choking and couldn't breathe. His mum had told him that it had to with his lung, and he was rushed to surgery. She said something about blood filling something and his lung collapsing again. 

 

He doesn't really know. But he does know that after it happened, his mum said that some of his blood got on Louis, and they haven't seen him since. Well, they haven't seen him at the hospital. He's been home with the babies. Jay will call and give his mum updates every now and then. 

 

He was laying in bed, waiting for the newest one. He couldn't sit up anymore, so he was laid flat, staring at the ceiling. He felt pretty shitty right now, inside and out. His mum came in the room and he looked over at her. 

 

She gave him a smile. "Hello, baby. Would you like to hear how things at home are?" 

 

"How's Louis?" He asked, ignoring her question. 

 

She sat in the chair next to his bed and sighed. "Jay says he's not sleeping again. He just goes into his room and cries until it's time to get up." 

 

Harry's heart hurt. "I wish I was home." He said. "I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home." When he went to sit up and get out of bed, Anne stood and pushed at his good shoulder. 

 

"Baby, you can't." She said. "You're very hurt." 

 

"I don't care. Louis will take care of me." Harry protested, shrugging her off. 

 

"Don't make me get the nurse, Harry Edward Styles." She threatened. "You lay back right now and listen. I have something to tell you." 

 

He laid back down and looked at her expectantly. "Is is about Louis?" 

 

She paused. "It's about you, but it involves Louis." She took a deep breath. "I said that Louis left when you needed the tube in your chest. He only got sick then." 

 

Harry frowned. "I don't understand." 

 

"He stayed when they took you to surgery. A nurse came out a little while later and told us that they had some trouble in the beginning but you were fine now." 

 

"I still don't understand." Harry said slowly. 

 

"Harry, your heart stopped during surgery. They said you had a small tear somewhere near your heart and your heart stopped." Anne said. She had tears in her eyes. "Louis left before the nurse could finish speaking." 

 

"Oh." Harry said. That was all he could manage to say. God. He was so mad at Louis refusing to visit him, and now he understood. He had  _died_ and it scared Louis. 

 

"I'm sorry, baby. We thought he'd come back." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. 

 

"He'll come when he's ready, mum." Harry said, mostly to assure himself. "What's he doing at home?" 

 

"Well, he's spending every waking moment with the babies. I never see him without a child in his arms. I think they're doing a puzzle tonight. Bean picked it out." 

 

"Bean likes puzzles." Harry said quietly. "When do you think they'll come and see me? Will Jay bring them?"

 

"Actually," His mum said. "Louis has told us that we can't bring the kids." 

 

Harry grew angry. "Why?" 

 

"Don't get mad, dear." Anne said quickly. "He said that he was going to bring them in. He hasn't said when, though." 

 

Harry tried not to scoff. "Probably never." 

 

Anne sighed. "Harry, I wish you'd cut him slack." She said. "He's been through so much." 

 

" _He_ was?" Harry snapped. "I was in a fucking car accident." 

 

"Watch your mouth." Anne said. "I'm your mother. But yes, Harry. He has been through some real shit lately. Excuse my language." 

 

"Pray tell what he's been through." Harry stared at the ceiling. "Tell me. I've been through four surgeries in the past five days but tell me." 

 

"I'm going to tell you now just so you feel guilty. I know that horrible and I'm your mum, but dammit Harry. The night of the dinner party he kept calling you and leaving you messages. He's asked me to delete them while you were sleeping but I think you should listen to them. Harry, he got so angry at you he told you not to come home and to stay at a hotel." 

 

She took a deep breath before continuing. "He spoke ill of you but let me tell you this," She eyeballed her son. "I have  _never_ in my life seen someone as strong as Louis, and all of that flew out the window the second the police officers knocked on the door. Your father had to force him into the car to come here. He refused to get in it while it was raining so hard. And then when we got here, Robin had to pull him out as well." 

 

She stood. "He didn't sleep until you forced him to. He cried when you didn't know who he was, and after your fight two days ago, he's the one that discovered that you weren't breathing. He stood right where I am and watched them shove tubes into and he got your blood all over his clothes. And he was here when they told us that you tried to die in the operating room. His whole life ended right there at those words. It didn't matter to him that you were still alive, it mattered that you had  _died_ and his whole life ended. He got scared, Harry." 

 

Harry wasnt aware of the tears falling down the sides of his face into his hair until his mother wiped them away. She leaned over him and kissed his cheeks. She brushed the hair away from his face and sighed. "I love you Harry, and I love Louis." She stepped back and picked up her purse. "Give him some time. I'll talk to him, but give him time." 

 

-

 

That night, Harry had just closed his eyes when his door creaked open. It wasn't a nurse, because a nurse would have popped right on in, making their presence known. He knew who this was before he opened his eyes. A hand running through his hair confirmed his suspicions and he opened his eyes. 

 

Louis barely said, "I love you," before he was crying over Harry. He sat down in the chair that Anne previously had and he clutched Harry's arm, crying into the warm skin. "You piece of shit, I love you so much." He sobbed out, shaking his head. "I hate you and I love you." 

 

"I'm sorry baby." Harry said, using his knuckles to graze over Louis' arm. 

 

"You tried to  _leave_ me." Louis accused. He lifted his head and he looked angry. Tears were still falling. "You and your shitty heart tried to die. Fucking asshole." 

 

"I didn't mean it," Harry offered, maneuvering their hands together. "I would never intentionally leave you." 

 

"You'd better not." Louis' voice was thick with tears. "You're such a dick." He let out another sob. "I _hate_ you." 

 

"I love you." Harry replied. "I'm sorry." 

 

Louis shook his head again. His eyes swept over Harry's body. "I can't even  _hug_ you. God, Harry, why is this so hard?" 

 

Harry untangled their fingers and cupped Louis' cheek. "I don't know, baby. I wish I was home." 

 

Louis paused and stared at Harry. "Your mum told me you tried to leave." He said, clearing the tears from his throat. "You idiot, why would you do that? You can't even breathe right yet and you're trying to leave." Louis was growing angrier again. 

 

"Baby..." Harry sighed, dropping his hand from Louis' cheek. "I just wanted to see you so badly. That's all. Can't blame me for wanting to see my little darling." 

 

"But still, Harry, you could have hurt yourself again." Louis took a deep breath. "If you would have tried to die again, Harry Edward Styles, I swear to God I would kill you. I  _will_ kill you if you leave me with seven babies at home." 

 

Harry huffed out a laugh, trying not to wince when everything between his neck and stomach ached. "I won't leave you. Couldn't leave a thing like you." He turned his head and looked over at Louis. 

 

Louis was trying to stay angry, but his face was softening and more tears were falling. "I'm sorry," He finally whispered. He searched for Harry's hand and twisted their fingers together, all without losing eye contact. 

 

"For what?" 

 

"Your mum said she told you about the voicemails and what I said." Louis answered. He looked so guilty on top of his exhaustion, and Harry couldn't stand to look at the dark circles under his eyes. His baby was so tired and he couldn't do anything about it. "I never meant any of it, Harry. I didn't, I  _swear_. And then when those officers knocked on the door, I - "

 

"Hey, shhh." Harry squeezed Louis' hand. His spouse was becoming hysterical again and he couldn't have that, for both their sakes. "Look at me and listen carefully. This was not your fault. I want to hear you say it." 

 

"Harry - " 

 

" _Say_ it, Louis. I can't get out of bed and spank you right now, so you need to say it." Harry said seriously. 

 

Louis hesitated, but then he repeated, "This was not my fault." 

 

"Good boy. This was not  _your_ fault, it was not  _my_ fault. Some idiot decided to drive drunk and during a bad thunderstorm. You wanted lemons, and by God, my baby was going to get lemons. This was  _not_ your fault. Do not think is anymore, do you understand me? I am not here because of you." 

 

Louis wiped his nose with the sleeve of his sweater, which Harry realized was his. He heart warmed. "But the things I said, Harry. I called you selfish and told you not to come home." 

 

"Don't get worked up again, little darling, please. My heart can't take your tears." Harry ran his thumb over Louis' knuckles. "I know you didn't mean any of it." 

 

Louis shook his head frantically. "I really didn't. I don't want you to listen to them. You'll get angry if you do." 

 

"If you don't want me to listen, I won't," Harry said. "If things were different, though, and I came home late, would you still be mad? If I hadn't gotten into this accident." 

 

Louis paused. "Probably." He answered hesitantly. 

 

"You wouldn't stay mad for very long," Harry grinned. "I'd come in and sweep you off of your feet, only to bring you to the brink of ecstasy moments later." 

 

"I don't think you'll be sweeping me off of my feet for a while," Louis smiled. It was the first smile Harry's seen on his face in the past week. "But I like to think about it." 

 

"I promise you this," Harry squeezed his hand again. "The moment I regain full function of my body again, I'll sweep you right off of your feet." 

 

-

 

The next morning, minutes after Harry woke up, there was a knock on his hospital door. He was sitting up in bed,  _finally_ , and he glanced over at Louis, who was sleeping in the chair next to his bed, head resting beside Harry's arm. He looked back over at the door just as it opened. A nurse peeked his head in. 

 

"Mr. Styles?" He asked, stepping into the room. "There are some policeman here. They want to talk about your accident." Harry nodded, and the nurse opened the door all the way. Two officers came in and nodded to the nurse. "Press your call button if you need anything." He told Harry before stepping out. 

 

"It's nice to see you up and at 'em." One officer said. 

 

"Were you the ones who.." He gestured to Louis. 

 

They both nodded. "Yes, we were. I'm Officer Brant and this is my partner, Officer McKinney. We responded to a passerby's 999 call." 

 

"So you two were at the scene?" Harry asked. 

 

Again, they both nodded. Officer McKinney stepped forward. He was holding a manila envelope. "We have pictures of the scene, should you want to see. Purely for insurance purposes." 

 

Harry took the envelope. "Insurance?" Harry asked, opening the folder. The first picture wasn't so bad. It was just of the raining road and the first vehicle. 

 

"Your vehicle was totaled, sir. Crushed beyond recognition. But yes, insurance. We've been working with your insurance company, but we were told that we would have to talk to you." 

 

Harry frowned. "You couldn't talk to Louis?" He gestured to his sleeping spouse. 

 

"He refused to talk to us," Officer Brant said. "Of course, we understand why. This sort of accident can shake a person up. But we have to ask, first of all, if you're in the right state of mind to answer some of our questions." 

 

Harry glanced up at them. "The right state of mind?" He asked. 

 

"Have you been put under any type of anesthesia or any other type of medication that would otherwise compromise your state of mind?" Officer McKinney elaborated. 

 

"I'm on some painkillers," Harry said. "That's it." 

 

"Alright, perfect." Officer Brant took a notepad out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Just some general questions. Shouldn't take long. Were you under the influence of alcohol or drugs while driving?" 

 

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked. "Is that a real question?" 

 

"Standard," Officer Brant said. "We know that you weren't, but we have to ask for the file." 

 

"No, I wasn't." Harry answered. 

 

"What was your purpose for being out at that time?" 

 

"I was picking up lemons." Harry replied. 

 

"Did you see the other car hit you?" 

 

Harry paused. He couldn't hardly remember. "No." He said. "All I remember is the impact." He sighed. This was going to take awhile. He glanced over at Louis. The two were holding hands because it seemed to be the only way Louis would sleep. He hoped that they were gone before he woke up. 

 

He answered question after question, until his head began to hurt. He finally had to ask them to wrap it up so that he could sleep. But as soon as they were gone, he opened the folder and sifted through the other pictures. He was horrified at the state of his car, and he stopped looking after he saw blood across his windshield. He hoped to  _God_ Louis hadn't seen the pictures. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SS98 is my life. Queen.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like the timeline is rushed??

A week later, Harry was well enough to sit up, stand for short periods of time, and even be wheeled around the hospital floor by Louis. He was even feeling up to eating now. All of the previous pain and the medicine that went along with it had been making him nauseous, so Louis was more than happy to wheel him down to the cafeteria. He shooed away the nurses and helped Harry out of bed and into the wheelchair. 

 

"Are you ready?" He asked Harry for the tenth time. "You don't need anything else? Maybe your pillow?" 

 

Harry turned and looked over his shoulder. "Why would I need my pillow?" He asked. 

 

Louis shrugged and leaned down. "I don't know. But you're ready?" He asked again. "You don't want to change your mind?" Even as he was saying it, he was wheeling Harry out of the room. So, it was kind of pointless for Harry to change his mind now. 

 

"I don't." He said, shaking his head. "I'm ready to eat shitty hospital food." 

 

Behind him, Louis giggled. When they stopped at the elevator, Louis reached forward and pressed the down button. When the doors split open, he pushed Harry inside and crouched down beside his husband. When it became clear that no one else was going to get on the elevator with them, the doors closed, and Louis finally spoke. 

 

"I'm glad you can breathe on your own again." He said, blinking up at Harry. "I think that was the scariest." 

 

Harry reached over with his good arm and stroked Louis' cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "I know. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." 

 

Louis didn't answer, but he surged forward and pressed his lips against Harry's smooth ones. He had remembered to bring chapstick, and every time Harry fell asleep, he smeared it across his lovers lips. He knew that Harry knew he was doing it, but Harry never said anything. When the elevator doors dinged and open, Louis stood and went back to his position behind the wheelchair. 

 

"I'm so excited." He said. He wanted to shake with how excited he was. He pushed Harry towards the cafeteria. 

 

"Why are you excited?" Harry questioned with a face. "It's cafeteria food. Nothing really exciting about that." 

 

Louis had to bite his lip or he was going to blow the whole surprise. So he just agreed with Harry and pushed him into the cafeteria. He let a grin split his face as he watched Harry glance around the room. He knew that Harry had seen the surprise by the way he paused, and then shifted as best as he could. He pointed with his finger. 

 

"Is that - " He asked, looking back at Louis. 

 

"Daddy!" Lucas's shout cut across the room. He knew to stay at the table with his siblings instead of bombarding Harry. Louis made quick work of wheeling Harry over to the table. Once there, he could have sworn Harry was about to cry. It was the first time he was seeing the babies in a little over two weeks. 

 

Lucas and Bean dodged around the table and ran over to Harry. Their eyes searched his body, taking notes of the casts and bandages. When they found a clear spot, they leaned forward and wrapped their little arms around him. 

 

"I missed you Daddy!" Lucas cried. 

 

"I missed you too!" Bean said. He kissed Harry's cheek and pulled away. "Are you okay?" 

 

Harry nodded. "Of course I am." He replied. His kids saw him as a superhero, and that's exactly what he was. "I'm perfectly fine. Just a little banged up." Harry looked over at the table. Olivia and Bella were wearing matching frilly dresses and had crowns on and were occupied by a coloring book, and Archie was trying to crawl out of Jay's arms. The twins were looking at Harry, but made no move. Big places like this scared them. Well, they scared Theo, and Ollie never left his brothers side if he was scared. 

 

"I don't get a hug from you two?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the twins. They shuffled forward. Harry took note of their striped shirts with the numbers one and two on them. He guessed that Louis had a hard time telling them apart sometimes, so decided to label each one. A more appropriate way, Harry thought, was to label each one  _Thing One_ and  _Thing Two_. 

 

When the twins reached him, they each took their time tapping on the cast on his arm and tugging a stray ringlet of his hair before hugging him. Ollie chose to hug his uninjured leg, while Theo hugged his arm. He ruffled their springy curls and leaned over to kiss them on the tops of their head. He looked up when Archie let out an almighty squeal and reached for Harry. 

 

Jay let the toddler go and Harry watched as Archie toddled up to him, arms up. "Daddy!" Archie cried, climbing up Harry stealthily to sit on his lap. Louis reached to get him so that Harry wouldn't get hurt, but Harry waved him away. It was completely fine. Archie settled against Harry and sighed happily. Louis pushed Harry up against the table and sat down next to him. 

 

"Are you hungry?" He asked Harry, already knowing the answer to that question. Harry hadn't been eating right and it worried Louis. If Harry was at home, he'd be eating right every day. 

 

Harry looked over at him. "Sure am." 

 

"What do you want?" Louis asked, leaning back to look over at the kitchen. "Never mind. You can pick off of my plate." He pushed his chair back and stood. His mother stood and went with him to get the food. Harry assumed the kids already ate because Louis didn't take any orders. While they were gone, Harry faced the table. His kids looked so grown and had only been a week. 

 

"I missed you Daddy." Bella said, finally acknowledging him. She flashed him a grin and pushed away her bright blond hair. Harry loved how it contrasted with her tan skin and bright golden/hazel eyes. She was a beautiful child. He knew Zayn and Perrie would be proud of her. 

 

"I missed you too, love bug." Harry replied. When she walked over to him, he kissed her hair. "What have you and your sister been doing? Holding down the fort?" 

 

Bella nodded. "Ollie and Theo think  _they're_ in charge of me but they're not." 

 

"That's right, baby girl. Who's in charge of you?" Harry asked. 

 

"When mummy around, it's mummy. When I'm at grandma Anne's it's grandma Anne. When I'm with grandma Jay, it's grandma Jay. But when I'm by myself,  _I'm_ in charge of me." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She had developed Louis' strong and sassy personality. 

 

He rubbed her back. "That's right, love. Never forget that." 

 

"Never forget what?" Louis asked, placing a tray down on the table. He stared at the food sitting on it. It wasn't restaurant or Louis quality, but it looked good nonetheless. He supposed that's what all hospitals of this standard served. 

 

"Nothing." Harry answered, looking up at Louis, who was settling in next to Harry. He reached out and grabbed Louis' hand, startling his smaller spouse. Louis glanced up at him with a questioning look, but Harry only shook his head. "I love you." 

 

Louis' face melted into a soft smile. "I love you too." 

 

-

 

Two weeks and three days later marked a month since Harry's accident. He was still in the hospital due to some complications with his broken wrist not healing right, and thankfully he avoided surgery completely. Both he and Louis feared that they would have to break it again and reset it. Fortunately, with the right amount of rigorous physical therapy, he was told it should heal fine. 

 

 _Unfortunately_ , it meant that Louis expected him to heal overnight. Ever since the doctors started green-lighting him to go home, Louis was pushing more and more. It frustrated Harry beyond belief, and he held it in as long as he could, but even then, he had a hard time not saying anything. He wasn't surprised when it all came to head a few days later. 

 

"I think you should start trying to walk." Louis said, folding up the clothes he'd brought the night Harry was admitted. They were still stuffed in the dresser drawer in the hospital room, and he was going to take them home. "The quicker you walk, the quicker we can leave." 

 

"Are you seriously rushing that?" Harry asked from the bed. His tone was sharp and he meant it to be. "I've had two surgeries on it in the past month, Louis. It'll take longer than that to heal." 

 

Louis huffed and sat down the sweater that was in his hands. "Yes, I know that, but it would take even  _longer_ if you don't exercise it." 

 

"I exercise it plenty," Harry reminded him. "Just because I'm not walking doesn't mean I'm not exercising it." 

 

Louis stared at him before shaking his head. "I just don't think you really know what you're doing - " 

 

"And  _you_ do, doctor Louis?" Harry snapped. "Tell me, when did you have time to get your medical degree in between popping out babies and bitching at me all the time?" As soon as he said it, he wished he could take it back. The words hung heavy in the air. 

 

Louis stared at him for the longest time before dropping the clothes in his hands that he'd lifted to fold. "You'd feel the same way if the roles were reversed, Harry, and you - " 

 

"I wouldn't, actually," Harry interrupted. "I'd give you some goddamn space." 

 

Louis' lower lip wobbled and he steeled his face. "You want space?" He almost shrieked. "Is that it? I haven't eaten or slept properly for  _weeks_ because of you! I've been tearing my hair out worrying about you and for what? To be told that you want some space?" 

 

"I didn't ask for you to do any of that!" Harry raised his voice. 

 

"Yes you did!" Louis began gathering his things. "We  _both_ did on our fucking wedding day, you dick.  _In sickness and in health_." He yanked the door open and turned to face Harry. His cheeks were red and his eyes were glistening. "I don't think I'll be back for awhile." He hurried out of the room and let the door shut softly behind him. 

 

When he was gone, Harry felt as if he had stones in his stomach. He groaned and laid back against the pillows.  _Why was he so stupid_?

 

-

 

True to his word, Harry didn't hear or see Louis for the next week and a half. He was in and out of physical therapy, and got the cast taken off of his wrist. It felt weird to have the mobility that had been limited for the past five and a half weeks. His collarbone had healed nicely, though it still twinged every now and then. His insides were back to normal and he could actually twist his torso around without the screaming pain in his ribs. His lung wasn't giving him any trouble whatsoever. 

 

It was just his damn leg. He'd tried walking on it,  and gave up a few times. He didn't feel strong enough, and no amount of coaching from the therapist could make him feel better. They'd done exercises with him sitting in the wheelchair and they've done them with him standing perfectly still, balancing himself on a beam. The physical therapist eventually told him that the pain was all in his head and that his leg was fine. The bone had mended and though it would still smart a bit, there was no harm in walking. 

 

Finally, the motivation came to him one night while he was laying in bed. He kept staring at the ceiling, wishing that when he looked over beside his bed, he'd see Louis fast asleep, clutching his arm. Then, he remembered a previous conversation they'd had. He remembered that he promised to sweep Louis off of his feet the second he was able too. 

 

With a new determination set deep in his soul, he closed his eyes and wished for morning to come. He would try tomorrow and do exactly as he planned. 

 

-

 

Louis sat in the waiting room, biting his nails. A nurse had called him about an hour ago, telling him that there was something about Harry she couldn't discuss over the phone. He'd broken almost every traffic law getting to the hospital, and he was a wreck. He couldn't help but think something went wrong, and that Harry had died. Just as the guilt of their last conversation was about to make him cry, the nurse appeared. 

 

She smiled at him. "Would you like to wait in your husbands room?" She asked. "They're bringing him back now." 

 

He stood and followed her on shaky legs. If Harry was being wheeled in from surgery, he would lose it. Harry's had enough surgeries and exams to last a lifetime. He couldn't bear it anymore. He hurt for Harry. She left him in Harry's room with the promise that they would be there soon. He gazed around the room. The bed was still there, which was good. Maybe she meant they were wheeling him back in from physical therapy. 

 

He walked over and stood by the window, staring out at the city below. He wondered briefly about other people's lives and if they had been as difficult as his had been recently. He didn't get to ponder that very long before two arms were wrapping around his body. He stiffened, and began to cry when he recognized them. He turned around and buried his face into Harry's soft cotton shirt. 

 

"Sh, why are you crying?" Harry asked, rubbing his hands up and down Louis' back in a soothing manner. 

 

Louis just shook his head and kept crying. The stress and the exhaustion of the past few weeks finally caught up with him. He breathed in Harry's scent, which, despite the aroma of the hospital around them, never faded. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, and sighed through the tears when Harry hoisted him up carefully. He barely registered the fact that he was being carried until he was lowered onto the hospital bed. 

 

"I love you," Harry whispered, kissing up and down Louis' face and neck. "I love you, I love you, I love you. You are my rock and you're  _so_ strong. You're stronger than I'll ever be." He nosed along Louis' soft cheek. "My baby..." He sighed happily. "I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry." 

 

Louis sniffled a bit and kept his nose in the crook of Harry's neck. He evened out his breathing and sighed. "How did you -?" He asked, voice thick with tears. 

 

Harry laughed quietly. "Told you I'd sweep you right off your feet, didn't I?" 


	6. Chapter 6

Harry hobbled up the front steps of their house, using Louis as a crutch. At the top, he had to pause and lean on one of the columns for support, breathing deeply. Louis rubbed his back up and down slowly, encouraging him. Though everything was better, things still hurt sometimes. For instance, his back would smart with pain for a bit if he moved suddenly, and his ribs, though healed, still twinged every now and then. 

 

"You good?" Louis asked him. 

 

Harry nodded and stood upright. It was his first time home since being admitted weeks earlier. It felt good to see the familiar exterior of their home. He allowed Louis to lead him into the quiet house. When inside, he slowly made his way to the stairs and sat down on one. Louis followed. 

 

"Where are the kids?" He asked, closing his eyes. He was out of breath. 

 

Louis rubbed his knee. "Well, the older boys are at school, Olivia and Bella are with your mum, and Archie is with Niall and Liam. I told Niall I would call him when you got home so that Liam could come and see you." Though Liam came to see Harry a few times in the hospital, he was swamped at work with Harry out, and had to hold different meetings and fly across the country in Harry's place. 

 

Harry nodded. "Okay. Sounds good." 

 

"Are you hungry?" Louis asked. "Or do you want to lay down?" 

 

"I've been laying down so much. If I never lay down again, I'll be fine." Harry said. "I just want to walk around a bit." 

 

"Okay," Louis stood in front of Harry and helped him up. "Alright, baby, upsie-daisy." 

 

"Not a child, Louis." Harry grumbled, leaning against Louis' smaller frame. 

 

Louis patted Harry's stomach. "Of course not, love." He agreed. He led Harry into the kitchen and stopped near the island. "You can walk around the kitchen while I make you something to eat, okay?" He walked over to the fridge and began rifling through it. "So, a lot of your coworkers and employees have been calling. I never answer so we've got a shitload of messages on the machine, okay?" 

 

"Mhm." Harry said, eyes focused on Louis' bum. 

 

"And the insurance company has been calling nonstop. I told them that I'd call them back when you were better, but I guess they don't know the difference." Louis grumbled, standing back up. He had some containers in his hands. "I made this yesterday, is it okay?" 

 

"What is it?" Harry sat down. 

 

"Lasagna." He said, putting the container on the counter. "Or do you want something lighter?" He paused and chewed his lip. "Do you want to go out to eat, maybe? People don't know you're out of the hospital yet, and we could be inconspicuous. And I  _do_ need some groceries." 

 

"We can do whatever you want to do." Harry said, drumming his fingertips on the counter. 

 

Louis looked up at him. "But you're in pain." He said. "I don't want to haul you around to different places." 

 

"We have to pick up the prescription anyway." Harry reminded him, standing slowly. 

 

"I knew I was forgetting something." Louis muttered. He eyed Harry up and down. Though everything had healed (or healed enough for him to start walking), Louis was still iffy about Harry walking or standing longer than he had to. "Tell you what, I can go, and you can stay here and rest." 

 

"Or," Harry shook his head slowly, still mindful of his still-achy collarbone. "You can stop coddling me and we can both go." 

 

Louis frowned at Harry. "I'm not coddling you, Harry. You're in pain. I don't like to see that." 

 

Harry sighed and reached for Louis. "I know, love. Forgive me, then. But I need to get out. I've been in the hospital for weeks and I just need to get out." 

 

Louis let a small smile take over his lips. "The ride home wasn't enough?" 

 

Harry huffed a little laugh and let his thumb trace over Louis' knuckles. "No, unfortunately. Now, if you love me, you'll take me to the grocery store." 

 

-

 

Louis did love Harry. So, he let him go to the grocery store with him. He sat Harry in the passengers seat because there was no way in  _hell_ that he was going to let Harry drive. Not for a long time. Maybe never. Inside the grocery store, he almost fought Harry on whether or not a scooter would benefit him or not. Harry was nearly embarrassed that Louis thought that he needed to ride around in an electric scooter. He jerked a cart out of the corral and walked swiftly away from his husband, as if to prove a point. 

 

It sort of backfired on him. He got winded quicker and had to use the cart as support. He leaned against it as he pushed, and though he got looks from Louis, Louis stayed quiet otherwise. He only spoke of things that mattered in that instant, such as what cereal the boys were in love with this week and the fact that he couldn't buy bananas anymore because Bella hated them. 

 

Only when they paused by the delicatessen did Louis get all soft and motherly towards Harry. He rubbed his hand up and down Harry's bicep, mindful of the cast that Harry still wore on his wrist. "Are you  _sure_ you're okay?" He asked quietly, blinking up at his husband. 

 

"I'm fine," Harry assured him. "I promise. Don't worry about me." 

 

Louis cleared his throat. "Okay, so you should know, before you get _super_ invested in this relationship, that I'm a worrier. You married a worrier." 

 

Harry laughed. "Oh, I know." He slipped his hand underneath Louis's shirt and let it rest on the warm skin. "Believe me." 

 

"Seriously, Harry," Louis pleaded. "If you don't feel good, or if you need to sit down, then let me know. I know you like to suffer in silence like a twat, but don't. You've worried me enough for three lifetimes." 

 

"Sorry, baby," Harry apologized. "I'll let you know." 

 

"Good." Louis leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Now, let's finish and get you home." He patted Harry's stomach gently. "I need to put some food into you. I can't believe you suffered through the hospital food." 

 

"I tried my best, love." Harry said. "Nothing can compare to your cooking." 

 

Louis gathered a few loaves of bread up and put them in the nearly full shopping cart. "I know." He said simply. He wandered over to where the cheese selection was and began tossing some into the cart. 

 

"Modest," Harry grinned. He stared at Louis' bottom as he leaned over to get some sort of pastry. What he wouldn't do to taste that right now...

 

"Pervert," Louis commented quietly, heading back towards Harry. "I saw you staring at my bum." 

 

Harry lifted his eyes up to Louis' face. "Sorry." He wasn't sorry at all. "You know me. I like a good bum." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows at Harry. "Just any bum?" 

 

Harry huffed. " _Your_ bum. Always your bum." 

 

-

 

Louis swirled the garlic breadstick around in the oil and looked all around him. They were at a charming little Italian restaurant, as per Harry's request for pasta, and he really liked it. The bread was amazing, warm and buttery, and the oil was full of flavor. He was on his third one, while Harry was still nibbling on his first. Oh well. He had no control when it came to food.

 

"Harry, this place is amazing," He said, chewing slowly. "Good eye." 

 

Harry shrugged and drew patterns in the oil with his half-eaten breadstick. "I saw it on Yelp and thought, why not? You like pasta, I  _wanted_ pasta, so here we are." 

 

"What are you going to order?" Louis asked, using the hand on the arm that wasn't propped up on the table to flip through his menu. "Everything sounds so good and authentic." 

 

Harry flipped his open and looked through the options. "I don't know. I'm glad they have a picture to accompany everything, though." 

 

Louis nodded. "Me, too." There were so many times when he'd gone to look at a menu and resorted to searching for an image of the food he wanted to get. This made it so much easier. "What are you getting?" 

 

Harry hummed. "Maybe something with seafood." 

 

Louis shook his head without looking up. "I don't know..." He said. "Ollie is allergic. You might kiss him or something later." 

 

"I'll be careful. Shrimp sounds good." Harry said. 

 

"Alright, just be careful." Louis took another big bite of the breadstick and sat it down. He wiped his hands on his pants and looked around, searching for their waiter. "I need a drink." He commented quietly. 

 

"I remember when you wouldn't even  _think_ about drinking." Harry said, putting his elbows on the little round table. He grinned at Louis. "You're such a lush." 

 

Louis blushed. "You wish. I don't flirt when I'm drunk." 

 

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yes, you do. You flirt with me constantly. Actually, drunk or sober, you still flirt." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and tapped on his empty wine glass. "You wish." He said again. 

 

Harry reached across the table and gathered Louis' hands in his. They worked around the cast. "Hey, listen," He said quietly. 

 

"Oh, God. You're going to get cheesy." Louis giggled. 

 

"Hush up and listen." Harry smiled. "Thank you for being there for me. I know the past month or so hasn't been easy for you. You're strong, baby. I'm really blessed to have you." 

 

Louis could feel his cheeks get red. "I'm just glad you're okay." He bit his lip. "You scared me." 

 

"I know. I'm sorry." Harry squeezed Louis' hand with his own good one. "I'm gonna treat you, baby. Wherever you wanna go, whatever you wanna do, your wish is my command." 

 

"I just want to stay right next to you." Louis replied. There was no place he'd rather be.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> praying that leo gets a fucking oscar


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short short short short

Harry yawned into his fist and made his way to the laundry room. He'd been up with the kids since six in the morning, because for some reason, they all decided it was an appropriate time to wake up. Louis, of course, got up with him, but disappeared a few hours after. Harry was left alone with all seven kids and he could hardly comprehend anything. His brain was still fuzzy with sleep, even hours after. 

 

He jiggled the doorknob to the laundry room and sighed in frustration when it was locked. Louis was in there, and Harry knew for a fact that he wasn't doing laundry. He knocked softly, not wanting to make Pancake bark. The fat little fuzball would bark at  _anything_ and  _everything_. It was annoying. When he got no answer, he knocked again. He pressed his ear against the door and heard movement. He'd barely moved his head back before Louis was swinging the door open. 

 

Harry stared at his husband's ruffled hair and sleepy eyes. "You were sleeping." He said, jealous. 

 

Louis stifled a yawn and pushed past Harry. "I was not." He denied, rubbing at his eyes. He paused when a yawn finally escaped his small body. "I was doing laundry." 

 

"Bullshit." Harry coughed. "You only go in there to either drink or sleep." 

 

Louis poured himself a hefty cup of coffee and glared at Harry over the rim of the mug. "That's untrue. I do laundry in there too." After draining almost half of the mug, he held it out to Harry. "Besides, why do you care?" 

 

Harry yawned again, taking the mug. "It's not fair that I have to sit out here and watch these stupid colorful shows for kids while you take naps. I barely made it away from the glitter, and Bella had a feather boa out. It's too damn early for glitter and feather boas." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and leaned over the counter. He rested his head on his folded arms and closed his eyes. "Yeah, watch out for her. I forgot to tell you that. She's big on glitter and feather boas right now. I think she's inherited my craftiness." 

 

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Craftiness? Baby, the attic is  _packed_ with boxes full of your half-finished projects." He sipped the coffee delicately, staring at Louis the whole time. 

 

"That's a lie. I would know, because I'm the one who put the boxes up there." Louis defended himself. His argument was weak because Harry was indeed right. He loved starting projects, but eventually, too many kids would cry or whine or he'd just run out of inspiration. 

 

"I thought we agreed to keep the attic clean after getting it remodeled?" Harry asked. He sat down at the kitchen table and patted his lap. Louis accepted the invitation and climbed onto Harry. They settled into the familiar position. 

 

Louis shrugged. "Well, you said you wanted it to be your office, and yet, your office is still down here. So," He shrugged again. "I took the liberty of storing some of my things up there." 

 

"In case you forgot, I'm a little incapable of moving furniture right now." Harry waved his cast around.

 

"Yeah, yeah," Louis mumbled. "I still like the idea of having our bedroom up there." 

 

"We talked about this," Harry reminded him. "The kids would never come up. They're scared of the staircase." 

 

"That's a  _bad_ thing, though?" Louis inquired. "Yeah, a little, because they're scared, but come on. When would we ever again get that privacy?" 

 

Harry stared down at Louis incredulously. "You want our children to be  _scared_ of coming to our room?" 

 

"No." Louis huffed. "Of  _course_ we'd put lights up the stairs and keep it inviting. But just the thought makes me happy. It would be like our own little apartment, sort of. The kids know not to go into the attic anyway, and we would just explain that the situation is different, and they'd be free to come up at certain times. They couldn't play up there or anything. The last thing I need is one of them falling down those steps and breaking open a skull." 

 

"Delightful." Harry grimaced. He sighed. "I'll think about it. You've painted quite the pretty picture in my head now, love." 

 

"You'll really think about it?" Louis asked, playing with Harry's fingers. He had Harry's good hand in his own and he loved stretching the fingers out and pushing and pulling on the rings he wore. 

 

"I will," Harry promised. "Now, when's nap time?" 

 

-

 

Harry narrowly escaped the clutches of Olivia, who was screeching at everyone, practically demanding a partner for her new dance routine. The older boys had already made it clear that they were not interested, and the twins were busy sneezing on each other, Bella was gluing glitter onto  _everything_ , and Archie was simply watching the crazy unfold. At times like these, Louis always managed to disappear. 

 

Harry found him in the guest bedroom, standing on his tiptoes in the closet. He was shoving some folded blankets up onto the top shelf. He was doing quiet work, work that Harry would rather be doing. Instead, he was dodging demanding little girls.  _His_ demanding little girls, but still. 

 

"So," He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. Louis settled back onto his feet and turned to Harry, eyebrows raised expectantly. "It's only three o'clock?" 

 

Louis nodded slowly. "Yes..." He agreed. 

 

"What do we do now?" Harry sat on the guest bed. "Like, dinner? Or maybe let them run around outside?" 

 

Louis looked out the window at the darkening sky. "It's not dinnertime and no. It's about to rain." He sat next to Harry. "Anything else you wanted to ask?"

 

Harry groaned. "Can I please go take a nap?" He pleaded. "My back is killing me."

 

Louis hesitated. "The kids have been really missing you, Harry," He said, rubbing his hand up and down Harry's thigh. "Could you maybe just settle in an armchair or something? I'll put on a movie." 

 

Harry sighed. "Fine. Fine." He stood. He was really hoping to go and take a nap, but it seemed that Louis wasn't going down with this day alone. So, he'd have to make due with what he was offered. 

 

-

 

Harry left after the middle of the second movie. He got right up from the armchair and went in search of Louis, who was upstairs this time. He was laying in their bed, reading a magazine. He looked up when Harry walked in. 

 

"How was the movie?" He asked, putting the magazine to the side. 

 

Harry grimaced. "Stupid." He replied. "What's for dinner?" 

 

Louis stared at him blankly. "What do you mean?" He asked, sitting up. 

 

"I mean, what's for dinner?" Harry repeated. "I'm a little hungry, and I know the kids are." He glanced over at the clock. It was nearing eight. 

 

"Okay, so why didn't you feed them?" Louis stood from the bed. "You can cook." 

 

"Yes, but it's not my job," Harry said, sighing as soon as he said it.  _Shit_. He was in for it now. 

 

"It's not mine either!" Louis exclaimed. "I do it because you all would starve, and I'm a little bit fond of you rowdy bunch. Are you seriously incapable of feeding yourself and seven children?" 

 

"I've been with them all day," Harry pointed out. 

 

Louis nodded. "Yes, the whole  _day_. I've been with them every single day for the past God knows how many years, give or take a few days. Welcome to my world, Harry." He shoved his feet into some slippers and shuffled towards the door. 

 

"If you're this upset about it, I can cook." Harry sighed, following him. 

 

"No, no," Louis shook his head and waved his arms. "I totally get it. You're tired, and you want to eat and go to sleep." When they reached the kitchen, Louis swiveled on his heel and stared right up at Harry. "Well guess what? So do I! But after dinner, I have to clean up and make sure the pets are fed and watered and then I have to clean up the kids and read bedtime stories and do everything else." 

 

"I help," Harry said. "You can't say that I don't because I do." 

 

Louis sighed. "I know you help, Harry. And I know that I've been pushing you to bed every night because I'm still afraid that you're hurting. I'm just frustrated from being sleepy." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist gently. "I'm sorry." 

 

Harry rubbed his hands down Louis' back. "I'm sorry too. Shouldn't have expected you to make dinner like that." 

 

Louis looked up at Harry, resting his chin on Harry's chest. "To be honest, I kept thinking that I was forgetting something. Now I know that it was dinner." 

 

"To be honest, I don't even think today was really that hard. A little rowdy at times, but no big deal." Harry shrugged. Not that he would admit that today was probably the hardest day he's ever experienced in his life. It was tiresome, and boring at times, and he wished that it would have ended six years ago, but again, not that he would admit that. 

 

Louis narrowed his eyes playfully. "Yeah? We'll see about that."


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Harry was prodded awake. He flinched a little in his sleep and batted the tiny, chubby fingers away from his face. That only increased the prodding, and he finally huffed and opened his eyes. He was met with Archie staring at him. The toddler grinned when he saw that Harry was awake. 

 

"Daddy!" He clapped his chubby little hands together. "Tummy hungry!" 

 

Harry frowned and looked over at the clock. It was almost eight in the morning. He turned his head and looked over at Louis' side of the bed. It was empty. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. As he was tossing his hair up into a bun, Archie crawled onto his lap and wrapped his arms around Harry's chest and his legs around Harry's waist. 

 

"Tummy  _so_ hungry," He emphasized, just in case Harry hadn't gotten the hint before. 

 

Harry kissed the top of Archie's head and got off the bed. He adjusted the toddler. "Alright, son." He yawned. "Let's go find Mummy." He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. The house was still dark and there was no sign of Louis. He sat Archie down in his high chair and searched around for his phone. When he found it, he dialed Louis' number and grabbed a box of cereal out of the cabinet. 

 

"Hey baby!" Louis chirped when he answered. 

 

"Hey, where are you?" Harry dove right in. He poured out some cereal onto the tray and winced when Archie let out a squeal. 

 

"Oh, I'm eating breakfast with Niall." Louis answered. 

 

Harry's eyebrows almost shot off his head. "You're what?" 

 

"Eating breakfast with Niall." Louis repeated. "We're at this new little bistro. It's cute. We'll have to come sometime."

 

"When will you be home?" He asked. He shoved the phone between his shoulder and ear and poured Archie some juice. 

 

"Mmm...maybe five or six?" Louis estimated. 

 

"What?" Harry almost yelled. "In the evening?" 

 

"Yeah." Louis answered. 

 

"Why on earth?" Harry gave Archie the juice and leaned onto the counter. 

 

"Well, yesterday you said that being with the kids all day wasn't so hard, and it wasn't because I was there. So, we've flip-flopped today. I'm taking your hours and you're taking mine." Louis replied. 

 

"That makes no sense." Harry sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. 

 

"It sure does. I'm you today and you're me." Louis said. He sounded cheerful. "It would really help me out, Harry." 

 

Harry was so confused. "How?" He asked. "You're not even here." 

 

"It's helping because you're finally getting to see how tough each day is." Louis explained. 

 

"My days are tough, too." Harry reminded him. Owning a large company with many branches across the world was not a cake walk. 

 

"I know, Harry. They're tough in different ways, though. You manage grown adults, I manage seven kids under the age of ten. Both are extremely hard when they want to be." 

 

Harry sighed. "Okay, you're right." He finally said. 

 

Even though he couldn't see Louis, he knew that his smaller husband was smiling into the phone. "Great! I've got to go now, but I'll call you later! I love you." 

 

"Love you too." Harry managed to say before the line went dead. He shoved his phone into his pocket and sighed. He turned to Archie, who was staring at him intently. "Looks like it's just you and me right now." 

 

He was met with a shower of cereal tossed at his face. 

 

-

 

 Around noon, Harry slid a movie into the player and sat all the kids down in front of the television. After that, he escaped to the laundry room to gather his bearings. Now he knows why Louis goes into the laundry room so much. It was quite honestly the only quiet place in the house, and the kids never went in there, so it was clean and smelled like fresh laundry and detergent. 

 

He sat down against the dryer and called Louis. 

 

"Hey!" Louis answered after the third ring. "How are things?" 

 

Harry groaned. "If I say that your job is much harder than mine, can you please come home?" He begged. The kids had been hellions all day. If they weren't screaming, they were drawing on something they weren't supposed to be. They ran amok and tore things up and made messes everywhere. He had no idea how the house was clean when he got home. 

 

Louis laughed. "Sorry, love." He rejected politely. "No can do." 

 

"But I always come home when you ask me to." Harry reminded him. 

 

"That's different." Louis said. "I'm always either pregnant or on the verge of a breakdown when I call you. Are you pregnant or on the verge of a breakdown?" 

 

In the background, Harry could hear Niall laugh, and he groaned. "Not breaking down." He said. "Yet." 

 

"Everything will be okay." Louis assured him. "They're your kids, so it should come easy to you." 

 

Harry snorted. "Yeah, I'm beginning to doubt that they're all mine. I would never act like they are, not even if I was a child again." 

 

Again, Louis laughed. "You're right. You're just now catching on?"

 

"Hush up." Harry grumbled. He stood, wincing when his back ached. "What are you doing now?" 

 

"We're shopping." Louis answered. "I'm spending all of your hard earned money." 

 

"You'd better be buying me something." 

 

"Oh, don't worry." Louis said coquettishly. "I've got something for you. But I'm not going to tell you what. I will tell you that the material is  _so thin_ , that you could look at it and it would fall right to pieces." 

 

Harry bit his lip and pushed at his crotch. The last thing he needed was a stiffy. "When will you be home?" He asked lowly. 

 

"Before you know it, love." Louis promised. 

 

-

 

Harry stared blankly at the giggling twin in front of him. He was holding the small child at arms length, so that they were dangling in the air. He blinked a few times. "Which one are you again?" He asked. 

 

That sent the twin and his counterpart on the ground into hysterics. The curly-headed twin tossed his head back and giggled. It was the same way Louis laughed. "Me Theo, Daddy!" The twin shrieked. 

 

Of course. Theo was the twin who was like Louis. Ollie was the twin that was like him. He could never remember. He nodded and sat the child down. "Okay. Theo," He nodded once more. "Go and play." 

 

"Okay!" Theo kissed Harry's hand before running off after Ollie. When the two hellions were out of sight, Harry turned his attention to the two girls. They were playing dolls in the corner, completely in their own little world. He watched them fondly for a few seconds. Olivia led her Barbie doll down the fake wedding aisle, and Bella held the Ken doll near the makeshift alter. They could pretend all they want. There was no way in  _hell_ his daughters were ever getting married. He couldn't handle it. 

 

"Daddy!" Lucas shouted from the kitchen. "Archie is trying to climb onto the counters!" 

 

Harry sighed and tore his gaze away from his precious daughters. He walked into the kitchen and caught Archie red-handed, clinging onto the drawers of the cabinet. He was halfway up when Lucas ratted him out. 

 

"Archie, love, where are you going?" He asked, lifting the toddler up. Archie promptly stuck his fingers up Harry's nose. Harry sighed. Another weird child. Oh well. Anoher weird child for him to love. Anyways, the weirdness was probably inherited from Louis. No way in hell was he ever that weird. 

 

"Tummy so hungry," Archie lamented dramatically. Yep. No doubt. It was all Louis. "Tummy  _so, so_ hungry, Daddy." 

 

"Well, let's just do something about that." Harry said, walking towards the cabinets. Surely he could whip something up. Louis always kept boxed foods on hand, just in case Harry ever had to cook for all of the children and he was alone. If Louis was home, Harry would always cook an elaborate meal. Today, macaroni and cheese was as elaborate as he was going to get. 

 

 

 

He managed to get the pot of water boiling as he read the instructions. Archie was watching the water intently. He liked the way little bubbles popped up in the pot. When the bubbles got bigger and there were more than a few at a time, Harry poured in the macaroni and sat Archie down. 

 

"Sorry, little man." He apologized. "I've got to have both hands free so that we can feed that little tummy of yours." 

 

Archie rubbed at his tummy with his little hands. He plopped down onto the floor next to Harry and waited patiently. It felt like forever before he was being scooped up again and carried over to his high chair. Harry had already put some macaroni into a little bowl and was blowing on it to cool it down. When it was just the right temperature, he put the bowl down and handed Archie a spoon. 

 

He dished out the macaroni into six other bowls and sat them at the table, along with glasses of milk, before calling in the rest of the brood. They all sat and dug in, and Harry watched, proud of himself for handling the day so well. He was almost about to pat himself on the back when Bella knocked her milk over, and Bean threw up. 

 

He sighed and grabbed a dishtowel.  _No matter what Louis said, they were definitely going two rounds tonight._

 

-

 

That evening, around six o'clock, Louis breezed right through the door, looking refreshed and glowing. Harry hated him. Except he didn't, and he wrapped his long, gangly arms around Louis and almost wept. He loved his children to death, but he never thought that he was  _that_ inexperienced at taking care of them. It really opened his eyes. 

 

"Did you miss me?" Louis laughed into Harry's shoulder. Harry inhaled. Louis smelled so good. He stepped back and surveyed the shopping bags and Louis' feet. "I got everyone something," He said proudly. "Where are the kids? I want to show them." 

 

"Everyone is watching a movie, except for Bean." Harry told him. 

 

"Why?" Louis leaned down and rifled through one of the bags. 

 

"He's sick." Harry explained. "He threw up at lunch."

 

Louis stood straight back up. "Oh no," He looked so concerned. "Where is he? Is he upstairs?" Before Louis even finished asking, he was headed upstairs. Harry followed, ogling the delicious bottom in front of him. When they reached Bean's room, Louis let out a heavy sigh and put his hand to his chest. He made his way quickly over to his sick firstborn. 

 

He sat on the edge of the bed and pushed Bean's sweaty hair from his hot forehead. "Hi, baby," He greeted quietly. "Daddy says you're not feeling so good." 

 

Bean shook his head sadly. "No," He whispered. 

 

Louis clicked his tongue. "I'm sorry, love. Does your tummy hurt?" 

 

Again, Bean nodded. "And my head." 

 

"My poor little baby," Louis felt Bean's forehead and cheeks with the back of his hand. "Do you want anything? Some water? We might have to go to the doctor tomorrow." 

 

Bean nodded. He knew that. "Can you lay with me?" He requested quietly. 

 

"I sure can, love." Louis kicked his shoes off and let Bean curl up in his arms. Harry watched from the doorway as Louis rubbed their firstborn's back and sang quietly to him. He was constantly being amazed and surprised by Louis, and he wouldn't have it any other way. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is trash.

A few days later, Harry finally had the opportunity to be by himself. It's not that he didn't love being home with his family every day, but he needed a little break. His nails were painted a bright, glittery pink because he can never say no to his girls, and his eyes hurt from squinting to watch the twins' iPad with them. He left his kids in the den and walked quietly to the foyer. He had just grabbed the keys off the hook when he heard a noise behind him. Without even turning around, he knew it was Louis. 

 

"Where do you think you're going?" Louis asked, popping his hip out. His eyebrows were raised. 

 

"Well," Harry clutched the keys in his hand and stared at his husband. "Out." He finally said. 

 

"Well," Louis stepped forward and took the keys from Harry. "No. You're not driving anymore." 

 

"Uh, excuse me?" Harry asked. When Louis turned to walk into the kitchen, he followed. "I think I can drive if I want to." 

 

Louis dropped the keys onto the counter and began stirring something in a large bowl. "I don't think so," He shook his head. "I don't want you to drive." 

 

"Shouldn't that be my decision?" Harry asked, leaning against the counter. His arms were crossed over his chest. "I think I'm ready to drive again." 

 

"You  _think_ ," Louis emphasized. "You think you're ready to drive. I don't think you're ready to drive." 

 

"You don't think I'm ready to drive?" Harry repeated. 

 

Louis shook his head again. "I  _know_ you're not ready to drive." 

 

"Again, that should be my decision." Harry said. "I'm perfectly capable of driving now." 

 

Louis looked up at him and stopped stirring. From what Harry could see, it looked like a cookie dough mess. "I don't think so." He shook his head. Harry was beginning to think that Louis shook his head every five seconds. "I don't want you driving just yet." 

 

"You're beautiful." Harry said instead of arguing with Louis. Maybe he could butter him up. 

 

"Still not driving." Louis turned his back to Harry, and the older man stared at the swell of his bum. 

 

"You've got a fat bum." Harry complimented. 

 

"Thanks!" Louis said sarcastically, looking over his shoulder at Harry. "Flattery will get you everywhere." 

 

Harry stepped forward and cupped Louis' cheeks. "You know what I meant. You've got a lovely, fat bum. It's delicious." Harry had dreams about Louis' bum. He could write songs and recite poetry about that bum. It was his absolute  _favorite_.

 

"Shut up now." Louis said, his cheeks burning pink. He sat the bowl down and let Harry grope him. 

 

"It's tasty." Harry said, quieter. "Sometimes I think I could live on just your bum. I could eat it all day." 

 

" _Shut up_ ," Louis said in a high pitched voice. He was sure his whole face was blushed a bright red. He should be used to Harry throwing compliments around, but he wasn't. He always got embarrassed. 

 

"Can't." Harry nibbled at Louis' neck. "It's magically delicious," He quoted the stupid cereal commercials he'd always see. 

 

Louis pushed him away with a shriek. "You're so weird! Get away from me forever." He said, digging his fingers into the flesh of Harry's stomach. "Gross weirdo." He distanced himself from his husband. 

 

Harry grinned and laughed. "Can't. We're married. You're sort of stuck with me forever." He advanced on Louis and trapped him in the corner of the counters. He shrugged and caged Louis in. 

 

"God help me," Louis giggled, shoving his little hands up Harry's shirt. Though Harry's ribs were healed and there were no more bruises, he still treated Harry as if he was still broken up. "You're a menace." 

 

"Me?" Harry raised his eyebrows and made a face. "Me?! You're the menace! How dare you speak such blasphemy in my house." 

 

Louis pushed at Harry again and giggled when Harry's hold only grew tighter. "This is my house," He reminded Harry with a breathless laugh. "My house and my babies. All mine." 

 

"And what am I then?" Harry asked, quirking a brow. 

 

"You're basically just a big, walking credit card to me." Louis explained devilishly. His hands were holding onto Harry's tightly now, and he squeezed them. 

 

"I see how it is," Harry said in mock sadness. He stepped away from Louis and shook their hands apart. He sighed heavily and turned his back. "Only using me for my money. I should have known." 

 

Louis tossed his head back and laughed before wrapping his arms around Harry's waist. He closed his eyes and sighed happily, nuzzling into Harry's back. "And your big dick." He reminded Harry. "Don't forget about the big dick." 

 

-

 

Only moments after Louis and Harry rejoined their children downstairs, the doorbell rang. It was Liam and Niall, who were coming over to visit. Louis knew that they hadn't been hanging out as much anymore, and it made him sad. He and Niall were both busy with their kids, and Liam was busy at work, and Harry had been busy healing from the accident. 

 

Louis led them into the kitchen and poured some wine. Behind him, Harry was latched onto his back like a puppy. He was nuzzling his face into Louis' neck and sighing happily every few seconds. 

 

"What's up with him?" Niall asked, gesturing to Harry with his wine glass. 

 

Louis waved his hand. "Ignore him. He just got laid, so he's pretty stupid right now." Harry nodded in agreement. Sex with Louis always made him stupid for a few minutes afterwards. Louis was just that amazing. And his  _arse,_ dear God. 

 

"You two do things while your kids are still in the house?" Liam asked, raising his eyebrows. 

 

Louis nodded. "With as many kids as we have, you have to quite literally do it when you can. Even if it's only a few minutes." 

 

"Really?" Liam asked in disbelief. He knew how Harry was. Harry had always bragged about taking his time with his partners. Maybe married life has changed him completely. 

 

"Yep." Louis answered. "In the car, the laundry room, bathroom, behind the couch, outside - " 

 

" _Outside_?" Liam and Niall both asked at the same time. 

 

Harry nodded proudly. "Twice." He got wistful just thinking about the times he'd taken Louis outside in nature. 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Anyway, the point is, if you have the opportunity, take it. But this time was special." 

 

"How so?" Niall inquired. 

 

"The kids were watching a movie, so we had about an hour." Louis patted Harry's stomach affectionately. "Big boy here didn't have to practically force himself to come so early." 

 

Harry whined. "Hey," He frowned, sighing into Louis' neck. It wasn't his fault. He just couldn't come quickly. Whenever they had limited time to do anything related to sex, he had to make himself work overtime just to come before one of the kids began pounding on the closed door or began crying. 

 

"Don't worry, love." Louis assured Harry. "I still love you, regardless."

 

Harry rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks." He said sarcastically. "Anyway," He turned to Liam and Niall, who were a little red in the face. "What about you two?" 

 

Louis scoffed. "Harry, they only have three kids." He reminded his husband. "They don't have to find the time." 

 

Liam nodded. "Right." He agreed with Louis. 

 

"Time finds them." Louis tacked on. 

 

"Wrong." Liam shook his head. 

 

"Three kids is pretty hard." Niall said. 

 

Louis frowned. "Is it? I can't remember the last time we only had three kids." 

 

"That's because we had twins after Lucas. We would never have three kids. We jumped from two to four." He raised his wine glass as if to make his point. "Hell, I can't even remember when we had  _two_ kids." 

 

"I take it seven kids is pretty rough?" Liam asked dumbly. He wouldn't feel so awkward if he hadn't just heard a briefing of Harry and Louis' sex life. 

 

"A little bit." Louis answered, laughing. "Want to trade?" 

 

Niall shook his head. "We're good with our three." He walked over to the table and sat down. Liam joined him. "So, any plans to have any more kids?" 

 

Louis and Harry shared a look before shaking their heads furiously. "Hell no." Louis answered. "I can't even remember their names half the time. It's chaotic." He followed Harry over to the table, and when Harry sat, he sat in his lap, wiggling around just to mess with Harry. 

 

"Not that we don't love them." Harry pointed out. 

 

Louis nodded. "That's right. Love them. Every single crazy one of them." 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been 84 years since i last updated this
> 
> short

Harry smoothed out the collar on his shirt and looked in the mirror. Behind him, he could see Archie toddle in, wearing the exact replica of what he was wearing, except Archie had on a little argyle sweater vest and socks up to his knees. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that Louis had dressed their three year old. They were going golfing today, just to give Louis some peace and quiet at the house. The older boys were at school, and then had practices after that, the twins were over at Liam and Niall's, and the girls were with Louis' mum. 

 

"Daddy!" Archie ran up to Harry and tugged on his slacks. "I'm Daddy!" 

 

Harry bent over and lifted Archie up. It amazed him how much his sons could look like him. "You certainly look like me today. Let me guess," He carried Archie out of the room and downstairs. "Mummy dressed you?" 

 

Archie clapped. "Mummy did!" 

 

Harry nodded and rounded the corner, walking down the hallway. "Well, you look very dapper, son. Are you ready to go golfing?" He entered the kitchen as Archie began squealing in his ear, having no idea what golfing was, but he was just so happy to be spending time with his favorite person in the world. 

 

"How cute!" Louis turned away from the kitchen counter and clapped his hands together happily. "You two are so cute! There is no doubt that you are father and son, that's for sure." He fiddled with his phone before lifting it to snap a few photos. Harry wasn't even surprised. Louis must have thousands of pictures on his phone. 

 

"What can I say?" Harry asked, putting Archie down on the counter. He kept one arm anchoring his son and wrapped the other around Louis' waist, dragging him in for a kiss. "My genes are excellent." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah? If your genes are so excellent, then why do  _two_ of our kids look like me?" He raised his eyebrows playfully. "Hm?" 

 

Harry laughed. "Two out of seven. You win, love." He nipped playfully at Louis' neck before stepping back. "What are you going to do all day?" 

 

Louis shrugged and bopped Archie on the nose before turning back around. He was in the midst of frosting some cupcakes to take to their new elderly neighbor. "Maybe watch some television. I've got some shows to catch up on." 

 

"Just don't finish _Empire_ without me." Harry asked. "I know how you are when you're alone and bored." 

 

"Promise." Louis said, shaking his head. "I might order in and take a bottle of wine to bed or something." He turned and batted his eyelashes coquettishly at Harry before winking. Harry groaned. "Maybe slip on this new little piece I got a few days ago. The silk feels  _so_ good on my body." 

 

Harry lowered his hands around Archie's ears and narrowed his eyes at Louis. "Just wait until I get home." He threatened. "I can't do anything now, but just you wait." 

 

"Oh, I'll be waiting, Daddy." Louis winked. Then, he cracked a smile and shook his head. "No, I'll probably just do some grocery shopping and clean the house. I need to get these frosted and take them over to Miss McKenzie." 

 

"Don't waste your whole day doing the things you do regularly." Harry said. "Go see a play or a movie or something. I don't want you to clean. The boys and I can clean when we get home." 

 

"And what about the girls?" Louis asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Harry, you are spoiling them to death. Cleaning won't hurt them a bit." 

 

"I know, I know." Harry sighed. They'd had that argument many times. Harry  _did_ spoil the girls, mainly because there were only two of them and five boys. He was working on it though. "Anyway, we've got to go. Tee time in twenty minutes." 

 

Louis followed Harry and Archie out of the kitchen. "Don't forget to put sunscreen on him, Harry." Louis reminded him. "And make sure he doesn't eat any grass. He likes doing that. Order him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if the club has them. He'll say he wants something else but he won't ever eat it. And if he gets hit by a stray golf ball, Harry Styles, I'll - " 

 

"I know, I know. You'll kill me." Harry finished for Louis with a smile. It was an empty threat he'd heard many times regarding their children. Louis was quite honestly a mama bear, as in he'd rip someone apart if they hurt his kids. He leaned down and kissed Louis on the lips. "We'll be fine." 

 

"Come here," Louis reached for Archer. "Bye-bye, my little love. I'll miss you." 

 

Archie grinned, his damned dimples popping out. "Bye!" He squealed, slobbering a kiss to Louis' cheek. "I'm havin' fun with Daddy!" 

 

"I know you will." Louis cooed. He handed the toddler back to Harry and blew them a kiss. "Remember what I said, Harry!" He watched as Harry and Archie slid into the back of the town car Louis had called for them. He still wouldn't let Harry drive, and he'd gone as far as to hide Harry's keys. He got sick every time he thought of Harry driving. It scared him. 

 

Harry waved his hand behind him in dismissal, and Louis would stomp his foot, but before the car door shut and the car drove off, Harry popped his head back out and blew a kiss. "I love you, princess!" He called with a wink. 

 

Louis blushed, against his better judgement, and wiggled his fingers in a wave. "I love you too, you goofball." He called back. He sighed as he watched the door slam shut and the car drive down their street. It wasn't much better, Harry being in a car, but at least he wasn't driving it. 

 

-

 

Louis finished up the cupcakes and walked them over to Miss McKenzie's house shortly after Harry and Archie left. She was grateful and they sat for tea for a bit, chatting about random nothings for awhile. He learned she was recently widowed but that didn't slow her down, she'd said with a wink. She was going on a date with a gentleman from their local senior center. She was a wild card, he discovered, and a great person to know. 

 

After they'd exchanged numbers and he promised that he would bring the babies over sometime, he went home and got started on, well, things. The house wasn't a total disaster, but could use maybe a five or ten minute run-through, but as he bent down slowly to pick up a stray plastic dinosaur, he shrugged and decided that Harry could clean the house later. 

 

He grabbed a takeout menu from the kitchen and a bottle of random expensive wine and settled against the couch cushions. He scrolled through his phone and decided to order Chinese food. It was his go-to and Harry wasn't there to complain about how much they have it. So. He ordered and hung up when they gave him his total and said it'd be just under thirty minutes. 

 

He stood up and sat the bottle down on the coffee table. He didn't want to start drinking just quite yet. He walked with his phone over to the french doors. He stared out at the backyard, mentally redecorating the back deck. Maybe with a new set of outdoor furniture out there? It would look nice, and they certainly did need it, with as much as they threw parties and get together's. 

 

His phone ringing in his hand snapped him back to reality and he looked at the screen. It was Niall. "Hello?" He answered, meandering away from the doors. 

 

"Hey," Niall sounded a bit winded. "Just calling to let you know that I'm taking the twins and mine to the arcade." 

 

"Okay." Louis hummed. "The one in the mall or the one by the little cafe we go to?" 

 

"The mall." Niall answered. There was some shuffling on his end, and then, " _Don't touch that, Charlotte, I mean it_." Niall sighed heavily into the receiver. "Is that alright? I figured it would keep them busy, and there's a movie theater there, so that'll really knock them out." 

 

"It's fine. Please, tire them out. They haven't been sleeping." Louis grew tired at the mention of sleep. With the twins not sleeping, neither him nor Harry had been either. It was hard when you were having to constantly leave your bed to put the twins in theirs. 

 

"Gotcha. Well, just letting you know. Do you want us to feed them? Or did you want them home at a certain time?" Niall asked. 

 

"Nah, feed them. Just not too much sugar. Popcorn is fine, cotton candy is not. You don't know what they're like with sugar. It's maddening." Louis warned. 

 

Niall cackled. "Well, I don't think that's the sugar. I think it's because they're a mix of you and Harry." 

 

Louis gasped. "Niall Horan! I am offended! And I know Harry will be too when I tell him what you said." 

 

"Nothing but the truth." Niall said. There was a scream on his end, and Louis winced. It was one of the twins, and he felt sorry for Niall. "I've got to go. I'll call you later, okay?" He hung up before Louis could say anything, but Louis understood. His boys were a damned mess. 

 

He sent a quick text to Harry, worried that even something like golfing would strain his back and hurt him again. He wasn't surprised when he didn't get a response. Harry was probably focused on Archie and making sure their youngest had a good time. He sighed and looked around the den. It was clean-ish, and normally he'd spend his day picking it up, but he just really didn't feel like it. Harry was right; he should spend the day doing what he wanted. 

 

And he wanted to drink and watch television and maybe send Harry some dirty pictures. Yes, that's exactly what he'd do. He'd slip into that sheer little outfit he bought and tease his husband with some naughty pictures. He smiled devilishly to himself when he thought of Harry's reaction. He couldn't  _wait_.

 

The doorbell rang, and he jumped excitedly. It was the Chinese. He rifled through a drawer in the den and pulled out some bills. He opened the door and paid the delivery boy, tipping handsomely before making his way to the den. The pictures could wait. He was starved. 

 

-

 

 "Where's Archie?" Louis asked  _hours_ later. He should have asked first, but when Harry arrived from golf, already stripping his clothes off in the foyer, he found that the words died in his mouth and left his brain the instant he was lifted up and slammed against the wall. The sheer [treat](http://www.agentprovocateur.com/us_en/darcia-playsuit-black) he'd slipped on earlier was a good move on his part, and he was so fucking thankful that Harry dropped Archie off somewhere, as bad as it sounded. 

 

Harry was a wild animal, which was no surprise, but they hadn't had real, actual sex since before the accident. Sure, Louis had dropped to his knees countless times for his injured husband, and with Harry's persistence and sometimes threats, he'd hover over Harry's mouth. He discovered that just because everything else on Harry's body had been broken or bruised, his tongue was  _just_ fine. 

 

Being deprived of sex (and Louis' body) had made Harry a madman. By the time he'd rolled off of Louis' body, his muscles were screaming and he couldn't breathe. Louis, who looked just as debauched as he felt, just stared over at him, chest rising up and down rapidly. His body was completely devoid of the expensive garment, and he made a mental note to stock their closet with as many of those as he could order. 

 

Answering Louis' question, Harry shrugged. "Some guys we played golf with invited him over for a sleepover. Apparently everyone's kids were there today." 

 

Louis' eyebrows shot off of his forehead and he leaned up on an elbow. "You allowed our child to go over to a strangers house?" He shrieked, startling Pancake and Duke, who were napping soundly behind the couch. 

 

Harry slid his hands down Louis' body and pulled their bodies closer, using Louis' arse as leverage. Once one of Louis' thick thighs were draped over his waist, he nodded. "Yeah." 

 

"Are you fucking mad?" Louis asked, staring at Harry as if the answer to that question was  _yes_. 

 

"Baby, I know them. The family. They're good people. And Archie got along with the kids, so. Nothing to worry about." He answered, creeping his hands down to the sensitive spot on his smaller counterpart. His fingertips danced through a mess of sticky come,  _his_ sticky come. 

 

"And clothes?" Louis asked. "He had no clothes! I didn't get to say goodbye to him." 

 

Harry watched Louis' eyelids flutter as he slid in two fingers easily. He grinned up at Louis. "Relax. Daddy made sure he was okay." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "That's not the point, dummy. I don't know these - " His breath hitched when Harry began pumping his fingers in and out slowly. "- People." He finished, a bit breathless. 

 

"Distracted?" Harry winked up at Louis. 

 

Louis rolled over on top of Harry and glared down at him. "Shut up. Do something productive with that mouth." 

 

Harry's face lit up and he smiled like the Cheshire Cat. "Oh, baby. You bet." 

 

-

 

Later, when Harry had milked every single last bit of energy (and come) out of them both, they found clothes and dressed, though Harry was quite fine with walking around naked. He liked naked Louis. It was a blessing and he thanked God everyday. Louis was artwork. They ended up in the kitchen after they dressed, and they made tea together, Louis giggling at Harry's stupid jokes while the water boiled. 

 

Harry poured the water into the mismatched mugs,  _their_ mismatched mugs, and they shuffled to the den, where they plopped down onto the couch. They molded together, after years of doing it, and sipped their tea quietly, Louis' toes tucked underneath Harry's thigh. 

 

"You know what we never did?" He asked, breaking the silence. 

 

"Hm?" Harry sounded, lips on the rim of the mug. 

 

"A family vacation." Louis said to him. He ran his finger around the lip of his own mug, staring at his husband. "We were going to sit down and plan it, when I was big pregnant with Archie, but," He shrugged. 

 

"Life got in the way." Harry finished, nodding. 

 

"Pretty much." Louis giggled. 

 

"Well," Harry stared expectantly at Louis. "Where do you want to go?" 

 

"I don't know, Harry. You've just been in a bad accident and I'm still scared that you're hurting." He shook his head. "We can wait until you feel better." 

 

"Baby, I've been out of the hospital for weeks. Everything is good to go. I promise." Harry reached over and rubbed Louis' leg. "I know you worry about me - " 

 

"It's one of my favorite hobbies." Louis smiled. 

 

"I know it is, baby." Harry shook his head fondly. "But it's my job to worry, okay? Now, where would you like to go?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where do you want them to go?????????


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you all get this long whopper! enjoy!

What should have been a day of vacation planning turned into a day of nonstop arguing for Louis and Harry, who could not agree on anything. Louis was still stuck on the idea of going to Disney, while Harry wanted something more low-key and personal - somewhere they could talk to their children without raising their voices. Needless to say, neither liked the other's idea. 

 

The dreary weather outside seemed to spark their conversations into something more than they should have been. Because of it, the kids couldn't play outside for Louis' fear of them being struck by lightening, and the fact that they were all inside for Harry and Louis to trip over seemed to agitate the two adults more. With the kids outside, they could stand in front of the big picture window in the kitchen, embraced, and talk their feelings out. 

 

This time, it didn't work like that. 

 

With another passive aggressive huff, Harry shut the kitchen cabinet door harder than necessary and skirted around Louis, who was purposely in his way, arms crossed, ready to battle. He almost laughed when Harry almost tripped over an abandoned shoe, but kept his face neutral. 

 

"Are you not even going to say anything?" He asked, following Harry over to the messy counter top. Their house was a disaster, but he would clean it up later. Right now, he had more important things to do. Harry ignored him and stirred in some sugar in his tea. "Harry! You're being a child right now." 

 

It got a reaction, and Harry dropped the spoon down with a clatter. " _I'm_ being a child? Two minutes ago you  _stomped_ your  _foot_ when I said I didn't want to go to Disney." Harry scoffed. 

 

"I did not!" Louis denied. "And if I did, it was probably because you haven't sat down with me to talk about any of this! You're simply being a child." 

 

"I don't think you know how a child acts then, because this is not it." Harry rolled his eyes and picked the spoon up. He tossed it in the sink full of dirty dishes and lifted his cup of tea. 

 

"I do know how a child acts, Harry," Louis glared at Harry. "I've got a ton of them." And by ton, he meant his seven beautiful babies, who were quite the handful sometimes. 

 

Harry nodded his head furiously. "Yes, a ton that you want to drag all over kingdom come! Disney is not practical for a family of nine, Louis. You would know if you used some sense." 

 

Louis' eyebrows nearly flew off of his head. He was used to the little digs from Harry, and Harry was used to the little digs from him, but to say that he didn't have any sense when he was trying to put his children's happiness first was insulting. He followed Harry, who had left the kitchen and went into the dining room. "I've got plenty of sense, Harry, and fuck you for saying otherwise." 

 

"Could you not curse in front of the children?" Harry requested politely, sitting down at the table. 

 

Louis threw his hands out. "Do you see any children in here? No." They were all currently running around different rooms of the house, screaming and probably making messes and wreaking havoc. He sat down across from Harry. "Now we're sitting, so let's talk." 

 

Harry sighed heavily and pushed his chair back. He stood, tea cup in hand. "I don't want to talk, because Disney is out of the question, Louis. I've said it a hundred times already." 

 

"Yes," Louis stood and followed him once more. "I heard you. But we need to compromise." 

 

"I don't have to compromise if it's my money." Harry said over his shoulder. 

 

"Jesus Harry, again with your money?" Louis stopped and planted his hands on his hips. This was a fight they'd had many times. 

 

Harry sat his cup down in the sink and faced Louis, leaning against the counter. "Yes, again with my money! If I'm paying for the whole fucking thing, I want to go someplace I'll enjoy it." 

 

"You'll have fun because the babies will have fun, Harry, God. It's who you go with that make it fun." Louis rolled his eyes. 

 

"Great!" Harry clapped his hands together. "Then you stay home and then I'll have a blast." He exited the kitchen, and Louis stormed after him, stepping over multiple toys that were scattered around, and one suspiciously sticky looking blob. 

 

"You're being a dick right now, Harry." He said to his husband's broad but very stupid back. Harry kept on walking, but the ringing doorbell made Louis pause, then sigh. He swiveled around, but yelled behind him as he walked to the door, "I'll stay home! I don't want to go anywhere with you," He shook his head and opened the door. "Fucking dick." He muttered under his breath. 

 

"Um, excuse me?" The woman at the door asked. She was wearing a pantsuit and had a button on her lapel, clipboard in her hands, and a confused smile on her face. Her hair was in an official updo. There was a man standing next to her, as equally dressed up as she.

 

"Um." Louis stared at her. "Can I help you?" 

 

She smiled and nodded. "We're here from the Council. We're conducting home visits this week. Didn't you get our letter?" 

 

-

 

Louis' heart beat quicker than ever as he shoved toys and books off of the chair in the sitting room. He bit his lip harshly and tried not to look Lana, he discovered her name was, in the eye. He was so ashamed of his messy house. Tim, the man who accompanied her, was already seated, staring and judging Louis as he tried to make the mess seem less messy. 

 

Harry was sitting back on the couch, watching the whole thing. Louis' face burned, because everyone in the room was going to blame the messy house on him. It was  _always_ his fault. When the chair was clean, he stepped back and nearly broke his ankle on a light-up action figure. He balanced himself and kicked it away, sitting. He smiled sheepishly. 

 

"Sorry." He apologized. "We weren't...prepared for any visitors." 

 

Lana raised her eyebrow and smiled. "Ever?" She asked, writing something on her clipboard. 

 

Louis was fucked. He was going to be taken out of their home and Harry was going to be re-matched with someone who could keep a house clean. He sighed and stared at his lap. Well, it was fun while it lasted. 

 

"So," Lana crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Tell us about you two." 

 

"What do you mean?" Harry finally spoke, leaning casually against the back of the couch. He looked cool as a cucumber. Louis hated him. 

 

This time, Tim spoke. "We know who Harry and Louis are in public. We want to know who you are in private." 

 

"And not like we heard at the door." Lana looked over at Louis with a raised brow. 

 

Harry glanced over at Louis' red cheeks. What had Louis said at the door? Probably bad-mouthing him. "What did you hear at the door?" He asked, turning towards Lana and Tim. 

 

"Oh, nothing we haven't heard before." Tim waved his hand. "Just a few choice words probably directed towards you." 

 

"I see." Harry glanced back over at Louis, who was staring at his lap. He could sense Louis' uncomfortable mood and read it on his face. He knew his little spouse like the back of his hand. "Well, I suppose I said a few choice words about him as well. All water under the bridge. It didn't hurt me and it didn't hurt him." 

 

"Yes, well," Lana paused for a long moment. "Anyway, Harry, tell us about you. Are you happy in this relationship?" 

 

"Well, I've been married for years, so I'd say sure." Harry shrugged. 

 

Louis snapped his head over and stared at Harry with wide eyes. " _Sure_?" He asked, raising his voice. "You're not  _great_ happy or  _fantastic_ happy? You're just  _sure_ happy?" 

 

"Don't make a scene." Harry said quietly, between the two. He turned to Lana and Tim with a smile. "Sorry, we've not had a great day today. Lots of stress." 

 

Tim glanced towards the ceiling, which held the screaming children above it. "I could guess." He said dryly. "Well, the weather isn't so great, so I understand."

 

"Excuse me," Louis leaned forward. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you two here? I know Lana said at the door that it was a random visit, but what for?" He knew that the way he said it must sound rude, but he quite honestly had more important things to do than sit around and chat with two complete strangers about how great or not so great he and Harry were. 

 

"Just that," Tim smiled at Louis widely. "A random visit." 

 

-

 

"So, Harry, you were in a bad car accident recently, weren't you?" Lana asked, staring at Harry like a concerned mother would. At the mention of the accident, though, Louis stiffened. He'd managed to avoid talking about it or block it out altogether because it  _scared_ him. Talking about it made him feel weak and reminded him that there was nothing he could do. 

 

Harry sensed this and he stretched his arm across the couch and placed his hand on Louis' thigh. He wasn't even surprised when he felt Louis' smaller hand wrap around his and squeeze. Of course he would - it was the hand he'd injured in his wreck. When Louis' thumb traced over the faint scar on his wrist, he knew that Louis was punishing himself on the inside for it.  _Still._

 

"Yes." Harry answered, clearing his throat. "Uh, about four months ago, actually." 

 

Tim raised his eyebrows. "And you're completely healed? That's astonishing." 

 

"Well, not really. My back and torso still hurts, and I get migraines occasionally, and takes me awhile to get from one place to another. But," He shrugged. "Getting better. Thankfully." He tacked on. He looked over at Louis. "I had a great little nurse." 

 

Louis shifted and his cheeks reddened. Weren't they just fighting ten minutes ago? And now Harry was complimenting him? Was it just because two members of the Council were sitting in their filthy home right now and he wanted to charm them? 

 

"Well, we're glad you're feeling better. Things like that can strain a relationship." Lana commented. "Our files indicate that you two were close to a divorce." She read the file and raised her plucked eyebrows. "Very close."

 

Tim pressed the tips of his fingers together and stared at them both. "What changed? Usually, people can't wait to get a divorce." 

 

"Well," Harry cleared his throat. "I did not like the terms of the divorce. I thought they were ridiculous, and the more I thought about it, the divorce itself was ridiculous. This is the person I dedicated my whole life too, and I don't take that lightly." 

 

"Louis," Tim let his eyes scan the folder he held. "You were the one who asked for the divorce." 

 

Louis shrank under Tim's judgmental gaze. "Yes." He answered, nodding his head. "And I don't want to talk about it." It was a very dark and miserable time in their lives and he wanted to never think of it again. 

 

"Does he do this often?" Lana turned to Harry with a questioning look. "Avoid discussions?  _Important_ discussions?" 

 

Harry shifted on the couch. "First of all," He said politely. "Don't speak of him like he's not here. Second of all, if he doesn't want to talk about something to complete strangers, he doesn't have too. We've spoken about it and that's all that matters." 

 

"I see." Lana nodded. 

 

"Now, when did this simple  _random meeting_ ," Harry used air quotes. "Become a marriage counseling session? We," He gestured between himself and Louis. "Were in the middle of a very important conversation." He gave them each a look. 

 

"Well," Tim seemed at a loss for words. "I guess that we'll leave you two alone then. I think we've got everything we need." 

 

"One more thing," Harry said, standing. It prompted Lana and Tim to stand as well, and Louis was grateful that Harry was getting them out of his house. He was stressed out with them there. "I really would like some warning next time. I'm not so sure that you'll be welcomed back unannounced." 

 

-

 

If anything was supposed to changed after Tim and Lana left, it didn't. Harry was still angry with Louis and Louis was still angry at Harry. They were still giving each other dirty looks and sighing heavily each time one of them got in the other's way. It was a petty little children's fight, they both knew it. They fed and bathed the children in silence, only talking to their kids, acting as if nothing was wrong. 

 

When the kids were asleep, they sequestered themselves downstairs, so that the kids couldn't hear them when they inevitably got loud with each other. They both liked to get loud, for many other reasons than fighting, but still. 

 

Louis aggressively scrubbed at a dirty dinner plate and glared at Harry, not caring that he was getting soap up to his elbows. " _Sure_ , you said." He sneered at his husband, who was wiping down the table with such frustration that it almost cracked the wood. 

 

"What?" Harry asked exasperatedly. "What are you on about now?" 

 

Louis dropped the dish into the water. "You said ' _sure_ ' when they asked if you were happy with me.  _Sure_." He mocked. "Honestly, Harry, you might as well have just said you were miserable." 

 

"I am currently miserable," Harry agreed. "But not with you. With this shitty fight you've kept us in all day." 

 

"Because you refuse to sit down with me and talk about a family vacation!" Louis almost shrieked. "I'm frustrated and tired and you're just not being reasonable." 

 

"I'm frustrated and tired with having this conversation!" Harry yelled back. He dropped the wet dishcloth onto the table and put his hands on his hips, leaving two wet hand prints on his shirt. 

 

"We're not even conversing!" Louis stepped away from the sink. "We're screaming at each other!" 

 

"Yes!" Harry shouted. "Because that's all you know how to do. You can't see the rationality of things! Louis, Disney is way to high maintenance for our children. For Christ's sake, we've got seven of them." 

 

"And who's fault is that?" Louis asked. "I didn't ever get myself pregnant, if I remember correctly."

 

"Stop changing the subject, Louis." Harry rolled his eyes. "This isn't about our kids. This is about finding a suitable vacation that everyone will enjoy." 

 

"Majority rules, though." Louis huffed. He turned and dunked his hands back into the dishwater. "The kids and I want to go. I can't think of anyplace else to take them." 

 

Harry stared at Louis dumbly for approximately two seconds before spouting off ideas. "We can take them camping, we can go to the coast, we can visit a different city, we can - " 

 

"Disney is on the coast," Louis interrupted. "And it's a different city." 

 

Harry laughed humorlessly and shook his head. It was enough for Louis to sigh heavily and just give up. He was so done with trying to communicate with Harry. The words they spoke to each other fell on deaf ears. He rinsed the last dish and let the soapy water out of the sink. He dried his hands on a towel and looked over at Harry. 

 

"I'm just going to go to bed." He said, hanging the dishtowel on the handle of their oven. 

 

"Just like that?" Harry asked. "We're going to quit talking right now?" 

 

"Just like that." Louis nodded, confirming. "I'm just," He shrugged. "Harry, I'm tired. I don't want to fight. You and the kids can go on vacation and you can go camping or to the coast, and I'll stay here. It's enough vacation for me anyhow." 

 

"No, now you're playing the victim." Harry followed Louis out of the kitchen. "You always do that. Stop walking away!" 

 

"Jesus, Harry! Six hours ago you told me to stay home from whatever vacation we took!" Louis spun around and raked his hands through his hair. He let out a deep breath and looked up at Harry. He was exhausted. "I'm going to bed. We'll do whatever vacation you want, just please let me go to bed." 

 

When Harry didn't say anything, he turned on his heel and walked up the stairs slowly, gripping the banister as if it were the only thing keeping him up at the moment. He paused halfway up and turned back around. 

 

"I sat out the medicine for your back." He said to Harry. "Don't forget to take it or you'll wake me up tossing and turning." He hesitated, then turned back around and finished climbing up the stairs. 

 

-

 

Hours later, he was still awake, staring at the ceiling of their bedroom. Next to him, Harry was out cold, snoring softly with his back to Louis. It wasn't intentional, because Louis had dozed when he got in bed, and in his defense, he spooned right up against his smaller spouse. 

 

A lot of things weight heavy on Louis' mind, and he needed to talk to Harry. He looked over at Harry's back and without even thinking, he let his knuckles graze up and down Harry's spine. Just a few short months ago, there was a slight possibility of Harry never walking again. Now, there were faint scars that reminded them everyday that things could have been worse. 

 

He finally nudged Harry. 

 

"Hm?" Harry stirred and rolled over onto his back. His eyes were still closed and he smacked his lips a couple of times. Louis was so in love with him. 

 

"Are you awake?" He asked, watching as Harry's face contorted into a frown. 

 

"I am now?" Harry asked, finally blinking his eyes open. He glanced over at the clock. "Why are you waking me up at three in the morning?" 

 

"I need to tell you something." Louis said, biting his lip. 

 

"Okay." Harry replied simply. He was waiting. 

 

Louis took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for being stupid about the whole vacation thing." He started. "I thought I was right, like always, and I never gave you a chance to talk. I'm sorry."

 

Harry simply stared at him, so he kept going. 

 

"And I guess it's because I was so concerned with everything being perfect." He paused and blinked a few times. "A few months ago, I didn't know if I would be able to plan any more family vacations. You know." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Because I thought you were going to die." 

 

Blunt. That was blunt. 

 

Harry blinked. "You fought me tooth and nail on this vacation because you thought I was going to die?" 

 

"Don't make me feel stupid or insecure or embarrassed about it, Harry." Louis shook his head. Suddenly, it felt like a very stupid idea. He rolled over and exhaled. "Never mind." 

 

"Hey, wait a minute." Harry pawed at the blankets around Louis' shoulders. "You don't get to halfway open up with me and then quit. Finish what you started." 

 

"It's stupid." Louis whispered. "Just never mind it." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes at Louis' stubbornness and slid closer, wrapping a hand around Louis' middle. "Nothing you say is stupid." He said into Louis' ear. "Especially if it's about me." 

 

He felt Louis' eyeroll at that and it made him smile. "I just.." Louis began, sighing. "You were so bad after the accident, and then you tried to die, and I - " He shook his head. "I was just so scared that I'd be alone. If you died, Harry, I don't know what I'd do." 

 

"I left everything to you, though." Harry reminded him, a bit confused. Louis knew that. "In my will. Everything goes to you. You lot would have enough money that our sixth generation of grandchildren would never have to work a day in their lives." 

 

"Not that." Louis replied. "I wouldn't have anyone to sleep next to me, or to kiss me goodnight, or to fight with me all day over stupid things. I've been thinking about it for awhile and I guess I just let it get to me. This whole Disney thing is stupid. I just want you. I don't care where we go." 

 

Harry tightened his arms around Louis and pressed his nose to the back of Louis' neck. No matter what, Louis always smelled of vanilla. It made him feel right at home. "Baby." He said. "My baby. You think I'd leave you? Ever? You think I'd just up and abandon your pretty little arse?" 

 

Louis giggled. "Don't you mean ' _your pretty little children_ '?" He corrected. 

 

"Oh, yeah." Harry smirked. "That's what I meant to say." He kissed the back of Louis' neck and sighed. "You are so silly. Why do you let yourself overthink things? You just drive yourself mad, lovely. And you drive me mad, too." 

 

Louis snuggled back into Harry's grip and fought a yawn. He always slept best in Harry's strong arms. "Sorry. I'll work on it. I love you." 

 

"I love you too, princess." Harry answered. "Now, turn around." 

 

Louis frowned. "Why?" He whined. "I just got comfortable." 

 

"Because earlier you said something, and it reminded me," Harry said. "I forgot to kiss you goodnight." 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Harry sighed at his computer screen and glanced down at Louis, who was still asleep next to him, sprawled across the bed. It was no surprise, and Harry was used to it. Ever since their first night in the same bed together years ago, Louis had always taken up the majority of the bed, which was weird, because he was so small. He let his eyes linger across Louis' body. His shirt was rucked up and he had a hand laying on the strip of belly that was showing. His head was resting on Harry's arm but his legs were stretched out. He was sleeping peacefully, and Harry knew that he deserved some rest. 

 

He turned back to his computer screen and exhaled slowly. He squinted through his reading glasses and made a few mental notes. He was planning their Disney vacation at seven in the morning. He wanted to surprise Louis and the babies, but he knew that out of all of them, Louis would be the happiest. He was going to do everything in his power to make the vacation something memorable. 

 

It was sort of difficult, because he was going to book the biggest and fanciest hotel on the premises for himself and Louis, but he also wanted to make sure that the hotel was near everything the kids wanted to do. Each age group was going to have a different itinerary, and it was stressful trying to figure out how to plan it all. Did they want to stay in Cinderella's Castle or the most expensive resort and spa there? 

 

He was in the midst of a mental crisis when beside him, Louis stirred. He watched Louis come out of sleep, as slowly and beautifully as he always did. He snuffled a bit and stretched each limb out, turning his face closer to Harry. He yawned and blinked his eyes open. Harry smiled down at him. 

 

"Good morning, beautiful." He greeted, using his hand to brush away the stray hairs from Louis' forehead. He'd been waking up next to Louis for years now, and discovered that nothing could compare to the beauty of his spouse in the early morning hours. 

 

Louis frowned and blinked, still trying to gather his bearings. "What're you doing?" He asked, pointing to Harry's computer. 

 

Harry closed the lid quickly. "Nothing, love." He sat it to the side and laid down beside Louis. "If we try, we could maybe get another hour or two of sleep." He rubbed his knuckles across Louis' soft cheek. 

 

"What time is it?" Louis asked, voice still thick with sleep. 

 

"Too early for you." Harry answered honestly. "You were up a few times last night. Can't sleep?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "No." He replied. "Don't know why." 

 

Harry frowned. Insomnia was common with Louis when he was pregnant, and even after, when he was too consumed with worry for the newest baby he'd brought home to even think about sleeping. Harry felt guilty whenever he'd wake up refreshed from night of uninterrupted sleep to discover Louis asleep in the rocking chair next to the baby's bassinet. 

 

"Should we maybe get you an appointment?" Harry asked, frowning. Louis needed a full eight hours of sleep every night. Maybe even more. 

 

Louis shook his head. "No. I'm sure it'll pass. I just kept waking up last night." 

 

"It wasn't me, was it? I wasn't moving around too much last night?" 

 

"No." Louis assured him. "You slept like a baby." 

 

"Did I hold you at all last night?" Harry inquired. Sometimes, it helped Louis sleep if he had Harry anchoring him. 

 

Louis shrugged. "Not when we first went to bed. I think maybe the first time I woke up you weren't." He glanced over at Harry. "You were snoring like a freaking chainsaw though." 

 

Harry just rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic." 

 

-

 

 Later that evening, as Harry was passing Louis in the hallway, he noticed something odd. He paused and stepped back, staring at Louis, who was wearing a striped shirt and a pair of leggings. He was carrying a laundry basket and looked fairly refreshed, but the shirt caught Harry's eye. He'd seen that somewhere before. 

 

"Baby," He said. 

 

"Hm." Louis stooped down and picked up a stray pair of pants in the foyer. "What?" 

 

"Come here for a second." When Louis was standing in front of him, he assessed the shirt. It was soft and worn and  _very_ old. He frowned and took the laundry basket away from Louis, putting it on the ground. He took Louis' hand in his and began walking around. 

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked behind him, confused. Harry was being weird. 

 

"I just want to see something real quick." Harry answered. They finally stopped in the middle of the staircase. Harry scanned the many pictures on the wall. "Aha!" He pointed to an older picture. 

 

"What am I looking at?" Louis raised his eyebrows. "It's us and a fat baby." 

 

"Yes," Harry agreed. "But it's us and fat baby  _Lucas_." 

 

"I still don't get it." Louis stared at Harry like he was crazy. 

 

Harry sighed. "You're wearing the exact same shirt." He finally said. 

 

Louis looked down and plucked at the fabric. "And?" He glanced up at Harry. "Am I not allowed to wear it anymore?" 

 

"Baby, you've had that shirt since Lucas was a baby. That's a long fucking time." Harry explained. "When's the last time I took you shopping?" 

 

Louis pondered it for several moments. Each passing second made Harry feel more and more like shit. "Um. I think before..." He shrugged. "I can't remember." 

 

Harry winced. "Well, fuck me. Baby, I'm sorry." 

 

"For what?" Louis exclaimed. "You've nothing to be sorry for." 

 

Harry nodded his head. "Yes, I do. God, I can't believe I haven't taken you shopping in that long." He cupped Louis' cheek and sighed. "I'm gonna take you out tonight." He promised. "We're gonna buy you some new clothes, okay baby?" 

 

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Louis leaned forward. "We have seven kids. Where are we going to find a babysitter on such a short notice?" 

 

"Just leave that to me." Harry told him. "Daddy's gonna get you some new clothes." 

 

-

 

Harry wasn't lying. He'd called in reinforcements, or as they liked to call them personally, Liam and Niall, and Harry whisked Louis away before anyone could say otherwise. They got into the town car Harry called, and it was sort of nice, having Harry sit in the back with him. It was cozy and comfortable and when Harry cracked open the little bar and poured them each some strawberry champagne, he knew it was going to be a good night. 

 

Harry made the driver stop at a strip of grand boutiques and expensive clothing stores. It was early evening and not busy at all, which delighted Harry. Now Louis could get the attention he deserved from every salesperson. Of course, Louis hated the attention, and politely declined whenever he was asked if he'd like them to pull selections for him. 

 

In the dressing room of the first place, Harry insisted on going in with him, and he watched hungrily as Louis tried on jeans and shirts. At a particularly tight pair of jeans that barely made it up Louis' bum, Harry had to pause everything and bend Louis over. Louis was never good at hiding his cries of pleasure while being eaten out, and the red cheeks of the nearby associates told them so. 

 

They ended up leaving the first place with a hefty load, and they piled into the car, heading to the next place. Harry was thankful for the partition as Louis began to deep throat him not even two minutes into the ride. 

 

-

 

"Are you sure this looks okay?" Louis asked, turning to look at his backside in the mirror. They were at a different store now, one that Louis liked, and it was filled with comfortable clothes. He slid on a pair of jeggings and a loose v-neck. He turned to stare at Harry, who was fixated on his bum. He snapped his fingers. 

 

"What?" Harry asked, leaning back against the seat in the dressing room. He shamelessly adjusted his cock, staring at Louis with lust-filled eyes. 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Nothing. You're hopeless." He smoothed his hands down across his thighs and stared at himself in the mirror. "You're not eating my arse again, so stop staring at it." 

 

Harry pouted like a child and crossed his arms. "Why are you denying something that brings me happiness?" 

 

Louis sighed heavily and stripped the jeans off. When he caught sight of Harry's happy, hopeful expression, he wagged his finger. "Oh no. I'm putting these back on the hanger. Don't get any ideas." 

 

Harry fell back against the wall and pouted again. "Whatever. You're mean." 

 

Louis batted his eyelashes and put his own clothes back on. He walked over to stand in front of Harry. "Will you still buy me these clothes, Daddy?" He purred. "Please?" 

 

Harry gave in four seconds later, the nonchalant expression falling right off his face. He  _always_ gave into Louis. "Of course." He sighed, standing up. "Gather them up, baby. I've got to get you home." 

 

Louis frowned and opened the dressing room door. "Why?" He asked, arms full of merchandise. He jumped when Harry's large palm smacked against his backside. 

 

"Oh," Harry kneaded his bum and his mouth moved against his ear. "You know why." 

 

-

 

"Now that I'm thoroughly fucked," Louis griped, tugging on a pair of leggings. "I'll go put our babies to bed."

 

From the bed, Harry winked, naked as the day he was born. "Do you want any help?" He asked.

 

Louis shook his head and limped to the door. "No, you monster. Just light up a metaphorical cigarette and get your cock soft. I don't want that beast poking me tonight." 

 

Harry winked at him again. "Oh baby. You light my fire." He drawled. 

 

Louis opened the door and grinned at his husband. "I hate you." He said cheerfully. "Cover yourself, for God's sake. We've got young children!" He shook his head and closed the door when he heard Harry cackle. He made his way slowly down the hallway to the twins's room, where surprisingly, they were already in bed. Ollie was reading a book about dinosaurs and Theo was singing to himself. 

 

"Hi babies." He greeted, pausing in the middle of the room. "Don't get up, loves. Mummy will hug you both." He started with Theo first, and gave out ample hugs and kisses to his youngest twin. He did the same with Ollie, and told them a bedtime story. They were asleep by the time he was done. 

 

The girls were easy because they were already in bed. They had a set schedule that they needed to follow, because  _princesses have a routine and we're princesses._ He kissed them each on the cheek and headed to Bean and Lucas's room. They were still up, and more than happy to see him. Archie was propped up on Bean's bed and he began jumping up and down when Louis entered the room. 

 

"Ready for bed?" He asked the boys, scooping Archie into his arms. 

 

Bean and Lucas nodded simultaneously. "Yes mum." Lucas answered. "Can I please finish this last chapter before I go to sleep though?" He begged. Louis nodded. He knew that Lucas had just started a brand new series of books and that he was invested. 

 

He turned to Bean. "You too?" He asked, noticing the open book on Bean's bed. 

 

"Yes, mummy." Bean answered. 

 

"Okay. You both finish the chapter and then lights out, okay?" He asked. He kissed them both on the forehead when they nodded. "Goodnight. I love you both." 

 

"I love you too," They both chimed. 

 

"Wait!" Lucas said, when Louis turned to walk out with Archie. "Can he stay here? Please? I was reading to him. He can sleep in my bed." 

 

"I don't know, Lucas." Louis said. He looked down at Archie, who was nodding his head. He sighed. "Fine. But remember what I said." He deposited Archie onto Lucas's bed after kissing his baby's chubby cheek. "Lights out after that chapter." 

 

"Yes, mummy." Archie replied, curling up next to Lucas. Louis' heart ached with the amount of love he had for his babies. It felt as if his heart was overflowing. And, he discovered that he really didn't mind. 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Louis sucked in his belly as much as he could and tried to pull the button through the loophole. When it wouldn't even span across his stomach, he sighed and slumped his shoulders. His tummy bulged out and he stared at it in the mirror with sadness. He used to be so thin! What had happened? He turned and assessed his side. His side profile was great - curvy waist and a big behind. 

 

He pinched at his hips and made a face. He thought he was alone until he heard Harry's gasp of disapproval from the doorway. He didn't even turn around because he knew Harry would march right over to him sooner or later and give him a speech. 

 

He was right. Harry manhandled him onto the bed and stretched out on top of him. "No!" He said firmly, staring down at Louis. 

 

"You don't even know what I was doing!" Louis defended himself. There he was, laying underneath his husband, incredibly tight jeans not even buttoned up. At least he was wearing panties underneath or else Harry might get the wrong idea. 

 

"Oh, I know  _exactly_ what you were doing." Harry nodded. He'd seen Louis do it a hundred times, scrutinize his body, pointing out flaws that weren't there. At least not to him. He thought Louis was perfect. He slid his hand across Louis' exposed tummy. "Need I remind you what this stomach has done for me?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "No, thank you." He'd heard it all before. It just made him feel guilty whenever Harry had to go on and on about it. 

 

"Well," Harry grinned. "I'm going to anyway." 

 

"Harry, no." Louis protested. He struggled weakly against Harry before going limp. It was no use. Harry was bigger and stronger. 

 

"This tummy has done so much for me, love. It's held my babies," Harry said fondly. "It's held two babies at a time.  _T_ _wo_! Your tiny little tummy has been cut open twice and it's protected each child and it's amazing. It grew big with each baby." 

 

"Especially Bean." Louis grumbled. His first child was no doubt his biggest - taking him to forty weeks and making him nearly topple over with the weight of his stomach. 

 

"Especially Bean." Harry repeated with a wicked grin. He stared fondly down at Louis. "I love your tummy. And your hips and thighs and everything in between. Do you understand? I don't make fun of the things you love, so don't make fun of the things I love." 

 

Louis pushed Harry's face away with the palm of his hand. "You're so cheesy." He cackled. "Get away from me." 

 

Harry just held onto him tighter and nosed along his cheek. "You love it, baby." 

 

Louis sighed and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. Yeah, he sort of did love it. 

 

-

 

"Harry?" Louis asked, later that evening. He was standing in front of their mirror, yet again, assessing himself. When Harry popped his head out of the bathroom, he asked, "Have you noticed anything about me lately?" 

 

Harry, bless his heart, looked confused as he stared at Louis from top to bottom. "Uh." He finally answered. "No?" 

 

Louis sighed. "I think I've gained weight." He explained to his clueless spouse. "All around here." He gestured circles around his midsection. He was pudgier there. "Why?" 

 

"Well," Harry stepped out of the bathroom and flicked the light off. "Maybe it's hormones? You've been taking that new birth control." 

 

"Yeah, but I've been taking it for months." Louis sighed, laying back on the bed. "I've missed a few days a couple of months ago. Maybe that's it? Maybe it's got my body out of whack?" 

 

"Maybe. Do you still have the pamphlet on it?" Harry sat down beside him and rubbed his thigh. "You could look it up, too. Or even go to the doctor." 

 

"Yeah. I guess it's time for a check up anyway." Louis sat up. "What do you want for dinner? I'm starving." 

 

Harry poked at his stomach, making Louis squeak. "Maybe that's why you're gaining weight? You're always hungry!" His pokes turned into tickles as he laughed at his own joke. 

 

-

 

"Louis! Long time, no see!" Dr. Bowen greeted, grin on his face. "How is everyone?" 

 

"They're great." Louis answered, looking around the familiar room. He was in Dr. Bowen's office, his old stomping grounds, as he considered it, waiting on his usual check-up. He'd decided after he had his conversation with Harry a week ago to go and see the doctor. If it was his birth control, he needed to find out and remedy the situation. 

 

"Great! How old are the kids now?" Dr. Bowen remembered when he delivered almost all of them. 

 

"Too old." Louis answered honestly. 

 

It made Dr. Bowen laugh as he scanned Louis' clipboard. "So, everything looks good. Blood pressure, height, uh oh. Weight gain? I see the nurse wrote it down as to why you're here." He glanced up at Louis. "Not a welcome change?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "No. At least, not this much. I'm thinking maybe it's my birth control? I missed a few days in a row a few months back. Could that have changed things up in there?" 

 

A look of understanding passed Dr. Bowen's face and he nodded. "You know, it very well could have. I think I know exactly why. It  _is_ your birth control that's making you gain weight. But just to show you  _how_ , I'd like to run a simple test. You know the drill. Lean back, shirt up." 

 

Louis did what he was asked, but couldn't figure out why. Unless something had happened to his insides? Maybe the birth control messed something up in there and Dr. Bowen was going to look further? He watched as the familiar gel was squirted across his pudgy abdomen and Dr. Bowen wheeled the ultrasound cart closer. He looked at the screen as Dr. Bowen moved the wand around and - 

 

Oh no. 

 

"Oh no." He said, watching the screen in absolute horror. "No." 

 

"Oh yes," Dr. Bowen answered. "Congratulations, Louis. You're pregnant!" 

 

-

 

Louis clutched the thirteen week ultrasound in his hand and paced the room. It had been a solid twenty-four hours since he'd found out and he had no idea how to tell Harry. How could they have been so careless? Dr. Bowen had explained that  _yes_ , the birth control was making him gain weight because he missed a few pills. Louis had just looked at him like he was crazy. 

 

 _Eight_ kids. How could they handle eight kids? The seven they had were hard enough! Their house was getting smaller by the day and now he was going to bring in another baby. Fuck. He groaned and sat down on the edge of the bed. He opened his nightstand drawer and put the ultrasound away. Out of sight, out of mind. 

 

It wasn't that easy. 

 

He was still thinking about the baby when Harry came into the room, smile on his face. "The kids are finally asleep!" He cheered, crawling over Louis to lay down right behind him. "And now we can talk." 

 

Louis nodded. "Yeah, I need to tell you something." 

 

"You can go first." Harry said, being the gentleman that he was. 

 

Louis shook his head. He wasn't courageous yet. "No, no. You can go first." 

 

"Alright. Well, I was thinking." He rubbed Louis' stomach, completely oblivious. It made Louis tense. "That maybe this is a sign." 

 

"What's a sign?" Louis asked. 

 

"Your birth control thing. What if we...you know, took a break from it for awhile? It's doing weird things to your body and I think it'd be better if we, you know, stopped it." 

 

"What do you mean?" Louis was confused. 

 

"Well, it's making you gain weight and you said you didn't like it." Harry justified, shrugging his shoulders. "And...I want you to stop taking it." 

 

Louis frowned. Where was Harry going with this? "Why?" He asked slowly. 

 

Harry curled up tighter around him and settled his hand firmly on Louis' stomach. "Let's have another baby, baby." 

 

Louis was stunned. Absolutely stunned. He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Or to maybe punch Harry in the balls. Maybe take away his baby making abilities. Fuck, that wouldn't work. Harry could wink at him from across the room and he'd get pregnant. The stress of the secret he'd been keeping caught up with him and he let out a few stray tears. 

 

"Surprise." He said, sniffling into his pillow. 

 

"What?" It was Harry's turn to be confused. "Baby," He shook Louis' shoulder. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Then, the word Louis spoke finally registered in his brain. "Oh.  _Oh_. Baby - " He was stunned. 

 

"We can't try for another baby," Louis turned on his back and looked at Harry. "Because I'm already pregnant." 

 

Harry thumbed away the tears falling down the sides of Louis' face. "Why are you so upset about it?" He hummed gently, pressing a kiss to Louis' forehead. 

 

Louis frowned. "You're not mad?" He blinked. Harry was just chock full of surprises. 

 

Harry tossed his head back and laughed. "Mad? Why would I be mad? God, baby. I'm so happy! We're going to have another baby!" 

 

"But - that's eight. Harry, eight!" He stressed. "That's eight babies! Eight bodies running around the house."

 

"Eight babies to love." Harry soothed, running his hand through Louis' hair. "Eight babies to tuck in at night. Eight babies to watch grow up." 

 

"I'm just," He wiped his nose and sighed. "I'm so scared. How could we have been so stupid? How could we have let this happen? We didn't plan this, Harry. We're not prepared." 

 

"We weren't prepared for any of them, baby." Harry reminded him. "I got you pregnant within the first month of knowing you. We didn't plan that, did we? We weren't prepared at  _all_. But we made it. We had our babies as they came and we loved each and every one. And we're going to have this one and we're going to love them just the same." 

 

Louis inhaled and exhaled, calming himself down. He let Harry's sweet words sink in and they soothed him. Harry was right. He'd discovered long ago that unexpected babies were the best babies. Laughter bubbled in his chest and he giggled out loud. 

 

Harry looked amused. "What's so funny?" 

 

"I'm having another baby." He answered, still laughing. 

 

"And that's funny?" Harry couldn't help but let out a few chuckles. 

 

Louis nodded his head. " _God_ , our mums are going to cut your dick off when they find out." 

 

"I wouldn't put it past them." Harry shrugged, agreeing with the statement. "When do you want to tell them?" 

 

"When the baby gets here? So...twenty seven weeks?" 

 

Harry did the quick math in his head. "You mean to tell me that you've been pregnant for thirteen weeks and just thought you were gaining weight for no reason?" 

 

"No! I thought it was the birth control." Louis replied. 

 

Harry groaned. "You know, when you started complaining about gaining weight, I thought that you might be pregnant. You've been hungry all the time and tired and moody and I just thought. Then I remembered that you always got sick early in the pregnancy, and you haven't been getting sick. So I was right all along." 

 

"Yeah, yeah, Doctor Harry Styles." Louis grinned. "Now that we've established that we're going to bring another child into this circus, can we go to sleep please?" He blinked slowly up at Harry. "Baby is making Mummy tired." 

 

"Oh Jesus." Harry said under his breath, pulling the covers around them. "You are going to be the absolute death of me." 


	14. Chapter 14

Harry dropped his keys into the little clay bowl that Lucas had made in school and kicked his shoes off. They squeaked against the floor, wet from the downpour that was happening right outside. He hated working late, and even more so now that Louis was pregnant again. He just felt that he needed to be home. He had an uneasy feeling for some reason. 

 

He tiptoed up the stairs, not even bothering with getting something to eat. It was late, and he'd eat in the morning. Louis would go nuts if he discovered that he skipped dinner, but it was a small price to pay for some sleep. When he reached the top of the stairs, he checked on each child. He pulled covers back up over little bodies and kissed warm foreheads goodnight. 

 

There was a glow coming from their cracked bedroom door, and he curiously pushed the door open. To his surprise, Louis was sitting up against the pillows, wine glass in hand, pizza box next to him. His eyes were focused on the television that had not been there when Harry left that morning. 

 

"Baby," He said quietly, pushing the door open the rest of the way. 

 

Louis looked over, blinked a couple of times, then looked at the clock. "It's kind of late." He acknowledged. "Why are you just now getting home?" 

 

Harry stepped into the room and closed the door. He loosened his tie and walked over to the bed. "Work got hectic. Power went out once, files were lost." He shrugged. 

 

Louis' eyes widened in surprise. He gestured with two fingers for Harry to come closer and he sat up to his knees, hooking his arms around Harry's neck. "I'm amazed." He murmured, smiling. 

 

"At?" Harry questioned with raised eyebrows. 

 

"Some time ago, you would have been furious at losing those files." Louis answered. "You would have shut me out completely. I'm proud of you." 

 

"Well," Harry cocked his head. He wrapped his arms around Louis' waist and allowed his hands to grab onto Louis' bum. "I have grown a substantial amount, you know." 

 

"Oh, I know." Louis nodded. He pecked Harry's lips once before pulling away. He gestured to the pizza box. "Now, I've been waiting ages for you to get home so we could have dinner together." 

 

"Baby," Harry sighed, dropping his tie to the floor. "You're pregnant. Don't wait for me to eat." 

 

Louis shrugged and grinned. "I wasn't going to tell you about the order of breadsticks we got." 

 

Harry glanced around the bed. "And I'm guessing you ate them?" 

 

Louis nodded and patted the space beside him. "Yes. Well, I saved you a couple. Now quit complaining and sit." 

 

"Aye, aye, captain." Harry kicked his pants off and let his shirt drop to the floor before climbing over Louis to plop down right next to him. "What are we watching?" 

 

Louis shrugged and helped himself to a piece of pizza. "Just a  _friends_ rerun." He took a sip from his wineglass. 

 

"Louis," Harry said in disapproval. "You're not supposed to drink while pregnant."

 

"It's cranberry juice." He said, holding the glass up to Harry's nose. "I'm tricking my body." 

 

Harry studied him. "So you mean you  _won't_ get tipsy and undress yourself for me? You won't put on a little show?" 

 

Louis giggled and batted Harry away. "No. Now hush up and eat. I slaved over a hot stove for you, so the least you can do is appreciate it." 

 

Harry stared at the pizza box. "Yes, dear." 

 

-

 

"What do you think we should get our mums?" Louis asked in the quiet of the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the sky was purple and black, the night mixing in. The house was quiet, no one was up but them, and they were still laying in bed. Their fingers were intertwined and Louis was twisting Harry's wedding band.

 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. They were so close that each breath inhaled and exhaled, the other felt.

 

"What should we butter them up with?" Louis explained. "You know, before we tell them that I got pregnant again."

 

"Just so you know," Harry held up a finger. "You aren't taking any of the blame whatsoever if they get touchy. It wasn't your fault you got pregnant. I think it was mine, full stop. You know how I hate wearing condoms." 

 

"Yeah, but," Louis shrugged. "Still. My mum loves the kids but I think she worries about me, you know? With so many kids? I don't know. We were young when we started having them, Harry, and we're still young."

 

"You were young when we started having them," Harry corrected. "I was not." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Yes you were." He rested a hand across his flat tummy and sighed. "Think they'll be mad?"

 

"They have no reason to be." Harry replied. "Literally no reason to be mad whatsoever. I love both of them to death, but what happens behind these doors," He pointed over his shoulder at their closed bedroom door. "Is none of their business."

 

"You're right." Louis sighed. "Well? What should we get them?"

 

"What haven't we already given them?" Harry pondered, staring at the ceiling. They had always been generous with birthday and Christmas and special occasion gifts, so their parents had plenty of things.

 

"Can we just wait until this baby comes and then wrap them up nice and pretty and hand it to them?" Louis asked hopefully. Harry had to admit, he painted a pretty picture. He could imagine it - them swaddling up their newborn in a nice warm blanket and just handing it to their mums, apologetic looks upon their faces.

 

"I don't think they'd appreciate that." Harry said. "And I don't think that you can hide a baby bump from them. Not only because apparently I give you big babies, but because they can smell it out."

 

Louis giggled. "Yeah." Anne and his mum were always good at detecting pregnancies. "Remember when I was pregnant with Bean? I was so scared about you finding out and then your mum just pulls me into the library and asks me if I'm pregnant. I was only eleven weeks!"

 

Harry's arms tightened around Louis' body. He wished he had pleasant memories of Louis when they had first gotten together, but he was stubborn back then and they fought all the time. He wished he could go back in time and change it. "Hadn't you just found out, too?"

 

Louis nodded his head. "Yeah. Like the day before. She must have known a different way though. Maybe it was my face or something. We'll have to ask her."

 

Harry exhaled slowly and looked over at Louis. "Should we just take them to lunch and let them have a spa day?"

 

Louis looked at Harry like he was the second coming. "Brilliant, Harry! I knew you were smart. I knew I loved you for a reason. I knew -"

 

Harry put his hand over Louis' mouth and turned their bodies so that they were spooning. "I get it, I get it. Now close that pretty little mouth and get some sleep. I predict that we can maybe get another few hours in before the kids wake up."

 

Louis shuffled around and wiggled his hips before settling. "Will you make breakfast?"

 

"Yes. If you'll go to sleep, I'll make breakfast." Harry replied.

 

"Aye, aye, captain." Louis kissed Harry's palm before snuggling in close and closing his eyes.

 

-

 

Harry and Louis both shifted under the heavy stares of their mothers. The cafe they chose to meet at was light and airy and not crowded at all, and yet they felt the walls closing in on them. They had broken the news maybe fifteen minutes ago, and not a word was spoken since.

 

Harry put his hand on Louis' thigh and cleared his throat. "I know it's a shock." He began. "Of course it is. We were stunned, but it happened, and we're happy. We only hope that you two can be happy as well."

 

Anne broke her stare. "Oh, honey. Of course we're happy. We're just..." She looked to Jay, struggling to find the right words.

 

"Surprised." Jay supplied. "Yes, we're just surprised. Gosh, eight kids. Can you two handle it?"

 

"Of course." Louis answered. "Eight can't be any different than seven."

 

"But, it'll be a newborn, sweetheart. With children." Anne said.

 

"Well, Archie is a toddler, but yes, the rest are fully grown children." Harry nodded.

 

"Have you told them?" Jay looked back and forth between the two.

 

"Well, not yet." Louis answered, squeezing Harry's hand. "We're still processing it."

 

"I take it you weren't expecting to get pregnant?" Jay lifted a brow and sipped her tea.

 

"No." They answered at the same time.

 

"I missed a few days of birth control a few months back." Louis said. "But we'd been using that and...protection." It was so uncomfortable, telling his mum and his husband's mum about their sexual escapades.

 

"Well." Anne sighed. "You can't do anything about it now."

 

"Really, sweetheart." Jay put her hand on top of Louis'. "Don't think that we're not happy, because we are. We're thrilled for you."

 

"Right." Anne agreed. "We get another grand baby to love and spoil!"  

 

Louis sighed in relief and leaned back in his chair. He glanced over at Harry, who looked as equally relieved. It was over, their mums were happy yet concerned. Now came the hard part - telling their children. 


	15. Chapter 15

They decided that the best way to tell their children was to split them up. Bean and Lucas, being the oldest of the seven, were lucky enough to be told first. Harry and Louis separated up the rest of the kids, sending the twins and the girls to Niall and Liam's house, and Archie to his mothers. After that, they drove into London. The boys wanted to go to a movie and then to an arcade, and then to go eat. 

 

They chose an animated movie and got their concessions. During the movie, Louis couldn't shake the nervous feeling he had. He kept thinking of all the worst possible scenarios on how the boys would react. Would they be mad? Would they automatically hate the baby? Would they scream and throw a fit? Thankfully, Harry sensed his worry and rubbed a soothing hand up and down his thigh. 

 

When the movie was over, they headed to the arcade, where they boys were given an abundance of tickets and permission to run free. Harry and Louis sat at a table and watched, sighing. 

 

"How about we just don't tell them?" Louis suggested, putting his feet up on the seat across from him. "We can wait until I have the baby, and then we can bring them home, and - " _Oh, did we forget to tell you all? Oh well"_." He looked over at Harry. "Solid idea, no?" 

 

Harry laughed and put his arm up behind Louis. "I don't think so, babe. I think they'd notice your belly right away. You get pretty big." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and sighed. "I just don't want them to hate me. Especially Bean. You know, I had a nice idea of him being the only child for awhile. We could spend all our time with him and take him places, different places, not just London. Maybe travel with him. Send him off to school and then think about having another." He shrugged. "Not that I don't love all of my babies, but it was a nice idea." 

 

Harry leaned over and kissed Louis' temple. "It is a nice idea." He agreed. 

 

Louis exhaled. "Then I got pregnant almost immediately after he was born. And then it kept happening." 

 

"I think you got pregnant a year after he was born." Harry thought. 

 

"No," Louis shook his head and turned to face Harry. "Bean was a year old when Lucas was born...right?" Well fuck. They'd confused themselves so much. 

 

"How old was Bean when we got married? Because you were pregnant with Lucas then." Harry racked his brain, trying to remember how old his children were. "I know you were, what, five months pregnant when we married?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "I have no idea! Harry, we're bad parents." 

 

"We are not." Harry said sharply. "We're good parents with seven kids." 

 

"Eight." Louis corrected, rubbing his tummy affectionately. "We've got eight little babies."

 

"Not so little." Harry remarked, staring across the room at Bean and Lucas, who were growing like weeds. It amazed him at how big his children have gotten. Weren't they just babies yesterday? 

 

-

 

"Okay, loves." Louis began, facing Bean and Lucas. They had left the arcade and went on to the restaurant, where Bean and Lucas were currently eating their weight in pizza. It was their favorite. "Daddy and I have something to tell you." 

 

"What is it?" Bean asked, looking from Harry to Louis. Lucas just sat there quietly, waiting for them to speak. 

 

"Well, as you know, you two have a lot of brothers and sisters." Harry said, squeezing Louis' thigh. Now they were both nervous. 

 

"Yes..." Bean nodded. 

 

"How would you feel about one more?" Louis asked, feeling a bit nauseous. He hoped that it was just nerves, and that he wouldn't actually throw up. 

 

Lucas frowned and put down his fork. "Are you going to have a baby?" He asked Louis. 

 

"Yes, we are." Harry spoke. "Your mum and I decided to tell you and Bean first. You're going to have a baby brother or sister soon."

 

Louis looked at them hopefully. "How does that make you feel? Are you excited?" 

 

"Well, we can't really do anything about it now." Bean answered. Louis' heart plummeted, but then Bean spoke again. This time, he was smiling. "But really? A baby brother or sister?" 

 

Louis sighed in relief and nodded. He felt tears prick his eye and wanted to cry, but they were in public and he was better than that. "Yes, baby." 

 

"When?" Lucas asked, clapping his hands. "Can we see them now? Can I name them?" 

 

"Soon, love. Real soon, and you can't see them just yet, but when Mommy goes to the doctor again, we can bring back a picture of the baby. And you can tell your mum and I any baby names you like, okay?" Harry was so happy that they weren't mad. He knew that it would hurt like hell to have them angry at him like that. 

 

-

 

When the day was done, they headed back home. Bean and Lucas ran right into the house, where Jay and Archie were, and Harry and Louis decided to walk down to Niall and Liam's house to pick up the other four. They held hands as they walked, debating on whether or not to tell the kids right away or take them somewhere they wanted to go and then break the news gently. 

 

They rung the doorbell before entering, knowing that Niall and Liam had a full house right now, with their four and three of their own. 

 

"Knock knock!" Harry called, closing the door behind him. 

 

"Where are my babies?" Louis followed the noise he heard and it led him to the backyard, where the children were running wild and Liam and Niall were standing at the grill, watching. 

 

"Hey!" Liam greeted, waving. "Staying for dinner?" 

 

"Nah," Harry shook his head and sat down at the picnic table on their back deck. "Louis' mom is with the kids right now. Don't want her to stay too long. I think she has plans later." 

 

"Did they have fun?" Louis asked Niall, gesturing to his four little monkeys. "Nothing scared them? Ollie hasn't made any weird noises? Nothing out of the ordinary?" 

 

Niall threw his head back and laughed. "No, no. Nothing weird or out of the ordinary with them." 

 

Louis let out a breath. "Okay, good. Don't want them in bad moods. Harry and I have something important to tell them later." He shrugged. "Don't want them to be mad." 

 

Niall paused. He glanced from Louis to Harry. "You two aren't...you're not separating again, are you?" 

 

Louis looked at his friend in bewilderment. "What? No! We - Niall, we never separated to begin with!" 

 

"You did," Niall insisted, nodding his head. He remembered all of those horrible times where Louis would call him crying over his and Harry's relationship, how Harry moved out and seemed to hate him completely. He never wanted to see his best friend go through that again. "When Harry moved out." 

 

"That's - " Louis waved his hand. "Let's not get into that. We're not separating. Harry and I are fine." 

 

Niall frowned. "Then what do you have to tell them?" 

 

Louis glanced back at Harry, who was busy talking with Liam, probably about work things. He took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." He said quietly, biting his lip. 

 

"Again?!" Niall shrieked. It caused Liam and Harry to stop talking and stare in their direction. 

 

Louis hit Niall's arm. "Not so loud!" He hissed, rolling his eyes. "But yes,  _again_ , Niall." 

 

"Oh." Niall said, then lowered his voice. "Does Harry not know then?" 

 

"Of course he knows, Niall, Jesus." Louis crossed his arms. "It literally sprung out of nowhere. I missed a few birth control pills a couple of months ago and we thought that maybe it was my hormones out of whack." 

 

Niall raised his eyebrows. "The idea of pregnancy never crossed your mind? Never, Super-Mum? You, O Fertile One? You and Harry fuck like bunnies and you  _never_ thought of pregnancy? You've got a thousand kids! Harry could say your name from eighteen miles away and you'd push out a kid nine months later! You - " 

 

"Jesus, Niall!" Louis shrieked. "I get it! No, pregnancy never crossed our minds because we weren't actively trying to have one. We were trying to avoid it, actually. I guess - " He shrugged. "I mean, there's nothing we can do about it now." 

 

"How far along are you?" Niall questioned. 

 

"Thirteen weeks." Louis answered, staring at the ground. 

 

"You didn't know for  _thirteen_ weeks? Didn't you find out with Bean like twelve days later?" Niall couldn't help but laugh at his friend's misfortune. 

 

Louis cracked a smile of his own. "No, Niall. But we actually came over to ask if you wanted to legally adopt a few of our kids? We've got a thousand, like you said." 

 

"Hell no I don't want any of your crazy kids," Niall shook his head and backed away. 

 

"Hey!" Louis protested, giggling. "The crazy comes from him!" He pointed to Harry, who was now walking over to them. "I've got perfectly normal genes. Him on the other hand? Who knows?" 

 

"And yet," Harry pressed his front to Louis' back and wrapped his arms around his small spouse. "You let me impregnate you several times. Not so crazy, I guess." He nipped at Louis' earlobe, and Louis promptly melted. 

 

"Okay!" Niall clapped his hands. "Time to go home. Liam, they're going to fuck on our deck and get pregnant  _again_ again." 

 

Liam smiled at Niall's exaggeration. "Okay, lovebirds," He plated what was cooking on the grill and walked over to Niall. "Gather your children and head home! There will be absolutely no lovemaking on this deck tonight!" 

 

"Well," Niall paused, glancing up at Liam. "Don't exclude us." 

 

"Gross!" Louis covered his ears. "I don't need to hear about you two! Unless you're going to get pregnant again? Liam, give him five this time. He needs to catch up." 

 

Liam actually went white as a ghost at the mention of a pregnancy producing five children -  _Niall's_ pregnancy producing five children. He'd have fainted if Niall wasn't there, holding him up. "Uh - " He stammered, shaking his head. 

 

"Don't worry, love." Niall cooed. "No babies at the moment. Three is enough." 

 

Liam nodded, sighing in relief. He glared at Louis and Harry and pointed at them with his spatula. "Go. Now." 

 

Harry tossed his head back and laughed before turning to call for the children. Louis helped Niall and Liam carry things inside and a few minutes later, everyone had coats and shoes on and were ready to go. They said their thank-you's and goodbye's to Niall and Liam and skipped down the walkway. 

 

When they were gone, and the house was quiet, Niall turned to Liam with a smile. "You know, I'm really glad they're happy again." 

 

Liam nodded and began plating food for his three kids. "Yeah, I agree completely. Harry was a wreck at work when everything was going on between them. God, I hated seeing him like that." 

 

"Louis wasn't much better." Niall hummed. After a few seconds, he nudged Liam with a wink. "Hey, how about them five babies, Liam?" 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no idea what the timeline is but today is Bean's birthday! July 6th! So it's july sixth in the story now haha

Niall's words were stuck in Louis' head the rest of the evening. He replayed every single memory he had of the almost-divorce, the weeks leading up to it, and the weeks after. Sure, Harry moved out, but they weren't separated. Or were they? He was distracted with these thoughts, mindlessly tossing their decorative pillows to the floor to pull down the bed sheets. Harry was doing his own thing, completely oblivious to what Louis was thinking. 

 

"Harry." Louis finally gave up and decided to see what Harry thought. He smoothed out the corner of the wrinkled sheet and waited for Harry to answer him. 

 

Harry poked his head out of the bathroom, eyebrow raised, toothbrush in mouth. "Yes?" He asked, voice thick with toothpaste. 

 

"Were we separated?" He asked, hands on his hips. 

 

Harry looked perplexed, and held up one finger. Louis sighed and waited for him to spit and rinse. When Harry was in the room again, he had his eyebrows raised. "Were we what?" He sat on the edge of the bed and took his watch off, back to Louis. 

 

Louis huffed and marched around the bed. When he was in front of Harry, he put his hands on his hips. "Were we separated? When...you know. Niall said it earlier today. We weren't, were we?" 

 

"Well, yeah." Harry shrugged. He sat his watch down on the nightstand and wrapped his hands around Louis' hips, staring up at his husband. "But I don't see why that matters now." 

 

Louis scowled and shoved Harry's hands away. "We  _weren't_." He insisted. 

 

"Baby, I moved out. We had a schedule for the kids. We were headed for divorce. We were separated." Harry sighed. "I don't like talking about this. Why did you bring it up again?" 

 

Louis shrugged and allowed Harry to maneuver him onto his lap. He hooked one arm around Harry's neck and sighed. "Niall mentioned it, and it bothered me. I don't like the thought of us separating. Makes me sad." 

 

"Well, it made me sad too." Harry nodded, pulling Louis' body tight. "I didn't enjoy living by myself  _at all_. And the schedule for the kids was always fucked up anyway. We never agreed on anything." 

 

Louis shook his head. No, they didn't agree on  _anything_. "I never wanted to file, you know." He informed Harry quietly. "I know it's over with, but it was just to get your attention. I was never planning to leave...I just needed you to see that I was hurting  _that_ bad. I wanted you to know that it could get worse." 

 

"I know." Harry whispered. The guilt still ate away at him three years later. He would never let himself escape those feelings. He nosed along Louis' jaw and inhaled the sweet scent of his tiny spouse. "Part of me wonders why you ever stayed with me. Why you ever put up with me." 

 

"And the other part?" Louis asked quietly, playing with the curls at the nape of Harry's neck. 

 

"The other part is over the moon that I still get to wake up to you every morning." Harry answered a beat later. "To this day, I still don't deserve you." 

 

"Don't say that." Louis said sharply. 

 

"It's true." Harry insisted. "I'm not saying it to be mean. It's true, Louis. I've hurt you, I've - fuck, I've made you go without  _food_ , I've beaten you and left you alone. I've blamed you for all of the problems we encounter. I - " 

 

Louis put his hand over Harry's mouth, unable to hear anymore. It made him sick when Harry talked about those things. "Listen to me good, Harry Edward, okay?" He said seriously, staring directly into Harry's green eyes. "Those things hurt me more than anything in the world could have, okay? But they were in the  _past_. That happened a long time ago and I've forgiven you. We've talked about it and I've forgiven you. I love you with every cell in my body and I'm so glad we're together. I don't want anyone else as long as I live. Do you hear me?" 

 

Harry nodded. 

 

"Good." Louis moved his hand away from Harry's mouth. "I hate it when you say those things about yourself." 

 

"I'm sorry." Harry apologized. "I just feel the need to punish myself. God, Louis. I did you so wrong.  _So_ wrong." 

 

"I know." Louis nodded, shoulders slumped. "But not all of it was your fault. This marriage is between two of us, and for awhile, we weren't in it together. It's like we were enemies. Not everything was your fault. I contributed to quite a lot." 

 

Harry shook his head firmly. "I don't want you to - " 

 

"Harry,  _listen_." Louis grabbed Harry's jaw and made his husband face him. "I was part of the problem. I undermined you and I questioned you and I never let you do what you needed to do. I wasn't submissive to you at all. I understand now why you were so frustrated all the time. You couldn't do anything because I wouldn't submit to you. It's your nature to be dominant and I didn't allow you to express any of that. I ignored you and I fought back and I let others into our private lives. I invited strangers in and let them judge us, judge  _you_." 

 

He took a deep breath and continued. "I felt so much love for you, Harry, don't think I didn't. I loved you every minute of every hour, ever since we were paired. I was so hopeful because you were tall and handsome and I  _knew_ you'd take care of me. I knew you'd protect me and love me and give me a home and you'd just be there for me. But you couldn't do that and I now know why. I wouldn't let you. I'm sorry. But you're not to blame for everything. I hired Olly and I told him things, private things, that were just between me and you. I let him judge and give me advice and I didn't realize that he had an ulterior motive. I accused you of cheating on me when I didn't have any of the facts. I pushed you away constantly and I  _hit_ you Harry. I never let you explain anything and I don't know why." 

 

He looked up at Harry and bit his lip. Harry was staring at him with a steeled jaw. For a moment, his heart dropped into his stomach. But he soldiered on because he  _had_ to get this off of his chest. He'd never gotten to explain everything he felt in great detail, such as he was doing now. "I love you with my whole heart and I put up with everything you put me through, but I've never thanked you, because you put up with everything  _I_ put  _you_ through. You deal with so much from me and I don't see how you do it. I really don't. But I just wanted you to know that I love you so much and the babies love you and you don't get that enough around here, I feel." 

 

Harry was quiet for several long minutes, going through everything Louis said in his head. He watched as Louis hung his head, leaning it onto his shoulder. He sought comfort in Harry after all of that. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed. 

 

"Well," He finally spoke, causing Louis to snap his head up. Hopeful blue eyes met his. "I think it's too late to change things now. We've got a ton of children and I'm quite taken with their mother." 

 

The biggest and brightest smile broke out across Louis' face and he wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "You goof. You're so dumb. I thought you hated me!" 

 

"I could never." Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Louis' waist and kissed his neck. "The day I hate you is the day they lower me into my grave." 

 

"Don't talk about you dying." Louis said, squeezing Harry tighter. "I hate it." He pulled back and pouted. "I want to think of you like this. Young and living." 

 

Harry quirked a brow. "Yeah? Want to think of me another way?" 

 

Louis smirked coquettishly and pushed Harry back onto the bed with two fingers. He straddled Harry's waist and lifted the bottom of his (Harry's) sleep shirt teasingly. Harry followed the movements and let his eyes fall to the peek of blood red lace underneath. His breath caught in his throat. He giggled when he saw how Harry reacted and dropped the shirt. 

 

"Do you wanna play, Daddy?" He giggled, rocking his hips back and forth. 

 

Harry suppressed a groan and gripped Louis' hips. "Fuck, don't tease me baby." He moaned breathlessly. "Daddy wants to play." He gained leverage and flipped them  _gently_ , so that Louis was writhing underneath him. He cursed when Louis wrapped his thick thighs around his waist, the shirt falling to reveal smooth, tan skin. "Daddy's gonna take care of you, baby." 

 

Louis let out a little moan and his eyelids fluttered. Harry always made good on those promises. He couldn't  _wait_. 

 

-

 

 Louis woke up the next morning and promptly burst into tears. He'd been dreading the day for weeks now. He hated it when his babies had birthdays, especially his oldest baby. He'd been hugging Bean a little tighter and kissing his little face more, and spending all of his time with his oldest son, thinking that the time was fleeting into nothing. He was so emotional. 

 

He nudged Harry awake and curled up into his embrace. "Bean's birthday is today." He whispered sadly. If it were up to him, Bean would stay his little baby forever. 

 

Harry's arms tightened around him. "I know." He replied, kissing behind Louis' ear. "Can you believe it?" 

 

Louis shook his head as another wave of tears hit. "No. I miss baby Bean already." He sniffled. 

 

"I bet he would let you rock him," Harry offered. "Just ask." 

 

"No." Louis closed his eyes and exhaled shakily. "I remember the moment he was born. Do you?"

 

Harry couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "Yeah. We were fighting, of course." 

 

"Right? What's new?" Louis giggled. 

 

"And you went into labor at night," Harry continued. "I helped you down the stairs because you were so pregnant." 

 

Louis' heart ached at the thought of being pregnant with Bean. He still pictures Bean as the small baby he once was. "Yeah, I was." He sighed. "Your fault." 

 

"I take full responsibilities of all fat babies with my last name." Harry promised, rubbing his knuckles over Louis' pregnant belly. "Anyway, I remember you bitching me out on the ride to the hospital. You kept saying you didn't want any medicine, even though he was going to be nine pounds." 

 

"He was two ounces over." Louis reminded Harry. 

 

"Right, I'll be hearing about that for the rest of my life." Harry nodded. Louis had a habit of reminding Harry just how big each of their children were at birth. He claimed it made him stronger than Harry, and Harry wasn't one to argue with that. "You were begging for medicine a few hours later. The finally gave it to you and then before we knew it, we had a screaming little baby in our arms." 

 

Louis sniffled again and buried his face into the pillow. "I want baby Bean back." He cried miserably. Even Harry's reassuring and supportive hands on his body didn't help ease the stress he was feeling. 

 

"Baby," Harry kissed a row up Louis' shoulder and to his neck. "Bean is your baby. He's always going to be your baby." 

 

"I know." Louis hiccuped. "I know. I don't know why I'm crying." He wiped his eyes and took a few deep breaths, collecting himself. 

 

"You're crying because your first born is getting older," Harry supplied. "You're crying because you're pregnant again. You're crying because you have so many hormones - " 

 

"I  _know_." Louis turned his head and glared at Harry. "I know why I'm crying. I just don't know  _why_. I've known his birthday was coming up. It happens every year. I just  _hate_ it. I feel like we were just bringing him home from the hospital yesterday." 

 

"Hush," Harry smoothed his hand up and down Louis' back soothingly. "Sleep some more if you'd like. I've got a great big plan for Bean's birthday party." 

 

-

 

Bean faced the day with an eager smile on his face. He knew that today was his birthday - his most special day - and he was excited! He would get love and attention from his parents (mainly his mum), presents, any food he wanted, and the cake would be just for him! He hardly remembered falling asleep the night before because the excitement made him jittery. 

 

He climbed out of bed and peered over at Lucas's bed. His brother was still sleeping, fingers twitching in his sleep. He huffed and shuffled over to the bed, poking his brother on the cheek. 

 

Lucas jerked awake. "What?" He asked, staring groggily up at his brother.  _Why was Bean up so early_? "Beanie? Why are you up so early?" He turned his back to his brother and curled up tighter under the blankets. 

 

"Get  _up_ , Lucas! Today is my birthday!" He cheered, peeling the blankets away. "Don't tell me you forgot!" 

 

"Didn't forget." Lucas mumbled. Then he whined. "Beanie, 'm tired. Go wake up mummy and daddy." 

 

"Remember what daddy said?" Bean crossed his arms and looked down at his younger brother. "He said not to wake mummy when he's sleeping. Because he's got the baby in his tummy." 

 

Lucas huffed and kicked the blankets off of his body. "Fine." He grumbled. "What do you want to do?" 

 

"First," Bean grinned, grabbing Lucas's hand and yanking him up. "We've got to go and see what daddy has made for my special birthday breakfast! Then, when mummy wakes up, we can have my party!" 

 

He dragged Lucas out of their door and down the hallway to the top of the stairs. They raced down them like they always did, and Lucas let Bean win. It was his birthday, after all. They slid across the hardwood floors of the foyer and around to the kitchen, where they both expected to see their dad making a big breakfast. Instead, it was dark. Bean stopped short and made a face. 

 

"What are you two doing making so much noise?" A voice asked from behind them. It was their dad, arms crossed but smiling. "It's early still. Why are you up?" 

 

With a sad realization that his daddy wasn't acknowledging his birthday, Bean shrugged timidly and toed at the floor. "We were hungry." He answered. "We thought that maybe there'd be a big breakfast." 

 

Harry frowned. "Why on earth? No breakfast this early! I might be able to make you two some toast later, but we have to wait until the others are awake. You know how touchy they get when we eat without them." He stepped behind them and led them back to the stairs. "Go on now, and be quiet when you walk past your mum." 

 

"Yes, Daddy." They replied in unison. They trudged up the stairs, and Lucas sensed that Bean was feeling sad. He grabbed Bean's hand in his and held it tightly. When they were out of earshot, he leaned to his brother. 

 

"Don't worry. Daddy didn't forget your birthday." He assured his worried brother. 

 

"Yes he did." Bean pouted as they tiptoed past their parent's bedroom. 

 

"Well." Lucas  _hated_ the idea of their dad forgetting Bean's birthday. "Mummy didn't! Mummy would never in a million years forget any of our birthdays!" 

 

"But Mummy has so many to remember." Bean reminded Lucas, pushing their bedroom door open. They had seen their mum on multiple occasions forget simple things, like misplacing the glasses that were perched on his head, or saying he needed milk, then walking right past it three times. 

 

"Well, you were mummy's first baby. He'd never forget that." Lucas climbed back into bed and leaned against his pillows. "Maybe if you go to sleep and then wake up again, Daddy will remember." 

 

Bean sighed and climbed into his own bed. He pulled up his dinosaur covered sheets and stared at the ceiling. "Maybe." 

 

-

 

Lucas was wrong. Bean found that out  _hours_ after he'd woken up for the second time. No big breakfast, no big hugs from Daddy or long kisses from Mummy, no presents or cake on the table. Nothing. No one even mentioned it. It was like it was just another ordinary day at their house. It made him sad, and he just wanted to go lay back in bed and wait until tomorrow morning. 

 

He briefly pondered the idea of maybe getting the days confused. Maybe his birthday was tomorrow, not today? Maybe that's why no one was saying  _happy birthday_. Yes, that was it! He was so eager to be right that his whole smile fell when he looked at a calendar and realized that it was in fact his birthday. It was even circled in bright green marker. There were little stars around it and everything. 

 

He moped around until his mummy decided that they were going to go over to Liam and Niall's to play for a bit. Well, more specifically, he and Lucas were going. The others were going to stay home and clean, as Daddy had put it. A day at Liam and Niall's would actually be nice, he thought as he slipped on his shoes. Maybe they'd remember and say happy birthday to him. Finn wouldn't forget his birthday! 

 

He had a skip in his step as they walked to Liam and Niall's, and he hopped up and down as they rang the doorbell and waited to be let inside. It was Niall who answered it, and all he did was wave Bean and Lucas through, giving them brief smiles. Dejected, Bean slumped his shoulders and went to go find Finn. 

 

Louis watched him go, and when Bean was out of earshot, he let out a big sigh to Niall. "This is so hard." He complained, leaning against the door frame. 

 

"What is?" Niall asked, raising an eyebrow. "Pretending your forgot your first son's birthday?" 

 

"You left out the part where Harry is at home right now setting up for the best party of his life!" Louis laughed, swatting Niall on the arm. "But seriously, don't even acknowledge it. He's not going to hint at it because he's respectful, but don't let his sad little eyes get to you." 

 

"Well, fuck me then." Niall grouched. "He's got Harry's eyes. Do you know how hard it is?" 

 

"Yes, Niall. I live with those big green eyes and they  _always_ get Harry his way." Louis cursed those damn green eyes. They melted the panties right off of him. "Seriously. Do not acknowledge my sons birthday." 

 

"Mum of the year." Niall golf-clapped and cackled loudly when a retreating Louis flipped him the bird. 

 

-

 

Louis let his eyes scan over every last thing that he and Harry had so meticulously set up after Bean and Lucas's departure. He needed everything to be perfect to make up for the six hours of completely ignoring the fact that it was his first child's birthday. He bit his lip and straightened out the three-tiered cupcake stand and stepped back to survey it. His mild form of OCD had long since arrived and it showed. 

 

"Alright, Liam just texted me and said that they're heading over." Harry said, stepping behind Louis. He put his hands on Louis' hips and his chin on Louis' shoulder. "Everything good?" 

 

Louis nodded. "Yeah. Does it look good? God, Harry, what if he hates it? What if he's mad that we pretended?" 

 

"He's not, calm down please." Harry kissed Louis' neck. "He's going to love it and understand that planning this took time and effort. He appreciates things like that, baby. You know that." 

 

Louis exhaled and nodded. "You're right. I'm such a worrier. I guess it's because I haven't gotten to hold my little birthday boy all day. It's driving me insane." 

 

"You'll get to hold him soon enough." Harry stepped away and checked his watch. Some of Bean's friends were already there, sitting outside with Niall, who had arrived a bit ago. He was keeping them entertained and happy during the wait. 

 

"I'm never going to let him go." Louis promised himself. He was determined to never let Bean go as long as they both lived. 

 

"You and I both know that's not true." Harry chuckled, glancing over at the table where a vast array of presents sat. Bean was going to love his party. He was sure of it. He swept his eyes over the room and watched for the next few moments as Louis fussed over things. When the front door opened, Louis' heart stopped. He saw Harry gesturing to Niall, who began leading Bean's friends quietly into the room. 

 

"Why are your hands over my eyes, Uncle Liam?" They heard Bean giggle. Louis' heart began beating and then promptly melted. 

 

"I thought we were playing a game?" Liam asked, totally relaxed as he led Bean into the den. He stopped them both and glanced over at Harry, who nodded. Liam took his hands away from Bean's face. 

 

"Surprise!" Everyone in the room shouted, clapping and jumping up and down. 

 

Bean's eyes widened as he focused on the elaborately decorated den, the trays of food and cupcakes, the table full of presents, the balloons floating near the ceiling. It was all too much but everything he'd hoped would be. He was absolutely thrilled that things were going his way, and that no one forgot his birthday. Except, there was one thing that he'd been missing  _all_ day, and he was going to do that before anything else. 

 

He ran full-speed across the room and into his mummy's arms. 


	17. Chapter 17

When Harry got home from work, he had quite possibly wandered onto a disaster area. From the moment he opened the front door, there were screaming kids, a loud television playing, and Louis yelling at them to be quiet from the kitchen. He stepped over scattered toys and the pets and dropped his briefcase down on the hall table before making his way to the kitchen. 

 

Louis was standing over the oven, stirring something in a big pot, while talking on the phone. "Yes, I understand that,  _yes_ , I understand. For the love of - yes, I  _understand_. Do you understand? Good, then let me finish. What I'm asking is that will the parents be able to sign up for committees  _before_ school starts or do we have to wait until - yes. Yes. We can? When? A week before? And is that by any chance the night we meet the teachers? A week before school starts? Great! Great! Thank you!" 

 

Harry waited until Louis had hung up before speaking. "What was that all about?" He asked, leaning against the door frame. He watched as Louis stretched as far as he could to write something down on the dry-erase board on the fridge. When he saw Louis was struggling, he stepped forward and took the marker. 

 

"Just making sure that we get on a good committee this year." Louis answered, flashing Harry a thankful smile. 

 

"We've got awhile before school starts." Harry said. "And this is a private school - are there such things as bad committees at a private school?" 

 

Louis glared at him and shook his head. "Yes, Harry. And  _awhile_ is actually three weeks. School starts at the end of August this year. There's already so much going on. I've made dozens of lists but I lose them all." 

 

Harry made a face. "What's going on?" 

 

"Lucas's ballet classes and his company is thinking of taking that trip to France, Bean's advanced classes and his footie games. The twins have to have those tests done to see if they need to take any special classes like Bean." Louis listed off. "And that's not all of it. There's a ton more." 

 

"Like?" Harry raised an eyebrow, amused at Louis' antics. 

 

Louis just rolled his eyes and turned back to the pot. He let one hand rest on his lower back, and Harry couldn't help but let his gaze linger there. So many times throughout their marriage he'd seen Louis do the exact same thing. He did it hundreds of times through each pregnancy. It just solidified something for Harry - the fact that Louis was having another one of his babies. 

 

"Hey." He stepped closer and slid his hands on Louis' hips. "Couldn't help but notice something earlier." 

 

"Like what?" Louis asked, letting his head fall back to rest on Harry's chest. 

 

"I thought maybe I saw a little bit of a belly." He moved his hands around to Louis' stomach and curled them, cradling the definite swell of Louis' stomach. The past few weeks had flown by, and Louis was now sitting at seventeen weeks pregnant, and already showing. 

 

"You did." Louis replied, happy little grin on his face. 

 

"Hmm." Harry bent his head down and kissed Louis' neck. "Mummy's starting to show." 

 

"That's right." Louis agreed, letting out a content sigh. "And before long, I'm going to be double the weight I am now because of this baby." 

 

"You've never gained that much with any baby." Harry shook his head. "I don't think any practicing professional would let you gain that much." 

 

"I think I gained almost thirty pounds with Bean." Louis reminded Harry. "Our monster baby." 

 

"Hey." Harry pouted. "He was our first. Aren't the first usually the biggest?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "I don't think so." He giggled.

 

Harry hummed. "All of ours were big, so. Nothing to go by." 

 

"Will you do me a favor?" Louis asked, still content to just lay in Harry's embrace for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, dinner was cooking and the kids were still screaming. Life goes on. 

 

"Anything." Harry answered immediately. Louis rolled his eyes. Harry would agree to do something until he actually heard what it was, then he'd make up excuses - especially if it was something gross, like clean the hair out of all of the shower drains or clean up the mysterious sticky mess on the walls. 

 

"Will you set the table?" Louis decided to go easy on Harry tonight, and really, setting the table was the only thing he needed done at the moment. He tilted his head back and pouted. "Please?" 

 

Harry couldn't help but lean down and kiss Louis breathless. It was one of his favorite things to do in the world. "Of course. You keep your pretty little self right here and finish. Leave the rest to me." 

 

"Don't get the nice plates out. Get the plastic ones with the dividers. Every single child in this house is now picky on their food touching." He sighed and rubbed at his back, continuing to stir the thick soup. He had to go out one night after a disastrous dinner and purchase brand new plates with little sections in them. 

 

"Aren't we eating soup?" Harry asked from the table. 

 

"Yes, but not only soup." Louis answered. "Some of your children aren't eating enough while the others are eating like football players." 

 

Harry laughed at that. He loved his babies. "Which ones aren't eating?" 

 

Louis turned and made a face at him. "Archie and the twins. They've formed an alliance." 

 

"And the ones that are eating enough for a small country?" Harry raised an eyebrow. 

 

"The girls, surprisingly. They eat  _all_ day. And Lucas and Bean, but they have actual reasons to eat so much. The girls just, I don't know." He shrugged. "Eat like they've never eaten before." 

 

"Growth spurt?" Harry suggested, laying the plates down at each chair. 

 

"Could be." Louis said. "But God knows they don't need any more growth spurts. Bean is almost as tall as I am. Have you seen it?" 

 

Harry laughed and nodded his head. "I love it." He said gleefully. 

 

"Shut up." Louis huffed, turning the simmering pot down a few degrees and walking over to Harry. "He's my first baby and he's supposed to look like me. It's not fair! Hardly any of my babies look like me." He crossed his arms and pouted. 

 

"Hey, Lucas and Theo look like you." Harry reminded Louis. He wrapped his arms around Louis' shoulders. 

 

"Theo is a twin. If Ollie looks like you, then Theo looks like you." Louis grumbled. "Lucas is the only baby who looks like me." He tapped on his belly and looked down at it. "You'd better come out looking like me, baby. And you'd better not be another boy." 

 

"It's another boy." Harry predicted confidently. 

 

"Don't jinx it, Harry. Seriously. We have eighteen thousand boys." 

 

"We do  _not_." Harry rolled his eyes and rocked them back and forth. "And what can I say? It's not my fault!" 

 

Louis glared up at him. "Your sperm, your fault." 

 

-

 

On Louis' twenty-first week of pregnancy, which coincided with the beginnings of school for all of their children, he woke up in a puddle of his own blood, once again. At first, he shifted around and kept his eyes closed, sure that it was just sweat. Then, after feeling around, he  _prayed_ that it was just sweat, though it was not the case when his hand came away sticky and dark. His heart skipped several beats as he sat up and reached over to turn the light on. 

 

"Oh  _no_." He whispered brokenly as he pushed the covers away from his lap. He was wearing one of Harry's shirts and a pair of grey leggings, both of which were soaked. His lower lip trembled as he reached over and shook Harry with a quivering hand. "Harry," He said thickly, over the lump in his throat. " _Harry_." 

 

Harry stirred and turned over, blinking his eyes open. "What?" He asked groggily. Louis didn't bother to answer, and Harry noticed the red on his sleeve from Louis' hand. His eyes widened and he sat up. "Oh." 

 

The dam burst, and Louis began to cry. He was sitting in his own blood, hands stretched out, covered in the sticky red liquid, pondering the idea of carrying a dead baby inside of him. The thought made his skin crawl and he wanted to go back to sleep and hope it was a dream. 

 

His tears spurred Harry into action. He pushed the sheets all the way down and got off the bed. He rounded Louis' side and gathered up his distraught spouse. He carried Louis into the bathroom, whispering calming words into his ear. He sat Louis down and his heart cracked when he had to pry Louis' hands from his shirt.

 

"Baby," He soothed, holding Louis' wrists. "I need to turn on the shower. We're going to get you cleaned up and then we're going to go to the doctors, okay?"

 

Louis shook his head and burrowed further into Harry, physically and emotionally unable to let him go. Harry was his anchor.

 

Harry just nodded his head and took the few steps necessary to reach the shower, still holding Louis, and he turned it on. When the water began spraying and the steam began rising, he stripped himself quickly and was very careful when stripping Louis. He used gentle actions and soothing words.

 

"Let me get you cleaned up and then we're going to go make sure our baby is fine, okay?" He promised, pouring the body wash right into his hands. He rubbed his palms up and down Louis' arms and down his torso. "Do you want to - "

 

Louis shook his head, which was hanging low. His eyes were focused on the red swirling down the drain. "No." He answered quickly and quietly. "Want you to do it."

 

"Okay." He grabbed a washcloth and poured more body wash into it. He held Louis as he rubbed it across his belly and down between his legs. He pretended the sob Louis let out when he felt it didn't break his heart, and he pressed a quick kiss to the side of Louis' face. "I was thinking of baby names earlier." He said, finishing as quickly as he could. "I can only think of boy names. Think that's a sign?"

 

Louis shook his head as Harry pushed his body under the warm spray. "No." He answered.

 

Harry allowed himself to smile. He needed to distract Louis. "Really? I do." He turned the spray off and reached out the door for the towel. He wrapped it around Louis and led him out of the shower. "I think I read that somewhere."

 

"I don't think so." Louis said, his voice still a bit too quiet for Harry's taste. He hated to think of what might be going through Louis' mind right now. He stood still as Harry dried him off, and went pliantly into the bedroom, where Harry dressed him in loose clothes.

 

"Let me call your mum, okay?" Harry asked, but sat down next to him on the bed anyway to dial her number. "Then we can go."

 

Louis just nodded and looked behind him at the sheets. The stain had darkened around the edges and was still wet and bright red in the middle. His mind was swirling with so many thoughts and at the same time it was completely devoid of any. He felt Harry tug his face around, and he was met with a concerned face.

 

"Let's go downstairs, okay?" Harry asked, helping him stand. Before they took another step, though, Harry completely enveloped Louis in his arms and buried his face in Louis' neck. "You are my best boy." He whispered. He tried to keep his emotions at bay. "You are my good boy and I love you so fucking much. Nothing is wrong with the baby. They're fine and warm and cozy. Okay? Do you believe me?" He pulled back and stared at Louis.

 

Louis just stared back.

 

"Do you  _believe_ me?" Harry asked, this time more urgently. 

 

Louis nodded, and let Harry hold him tight one more time before he was being walked out of the bedroom. He walked through the hallways with a cloud over his head and dark thoughts in his mind. Yes, Harry had promised him that the baby was fine.

 

But what about _him?_  

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Though his eyes were heavy and he hadn't slept for what felt like years, Harry did not take his eyes away from Louis. He was awake, and in the hospital bed, where he'd been since that early morning. He was hooked up to a machine and sleepy but  _happy_. He was staring down at the most recent ultrasound of their baby, taken only an hour before. He was smiling down at it, tracing it with his finger. 

 

Their baby was alive. 

 

From the moment they'd arrived at the hospital, forty hours earlier, they both had been in their own state of panic. Louis was sickened at the thought of their baby being dead inside of him, and Harry was near death with worry for Louis and what it might do to him if their baby was in serious medical need, or worse. He put up a brave front and stayed near Louis at all times. 

 

It had lifted a great weight off of both of their shoulders, finding out that nothing was wrong with their baby, and Harry got to see Louis' eyes brighten at the news. That alone made him fall in love with Louis all over again. It was the greatest news he'd heard, and then they heard the not-so-great-news. 

 

Louis had placenta previa, again, and this time, it wasn't looking so good. While their baby was okay, the doctor had tacked on a  _for now_ , meaning that anything could change in a matter of seconds. Bad things could happen to Louis and the baby. The placenta previa was grade two, which Harry learned was marginal. It meant that Louis' placenta almost covering his cervix. It wasn't good. 

 

The doctor had listed some reasons as to why it may have developed, such as scarring from a previous c-section and having twins who shared the same placenta. Harry promptly thought they were screwed, and he began praying. Better late than never. As of that moment, Louis was on hospital bed rest until probably the end of his pregnancy, the doctor had told them. Not suggested. Louis was not to lift anything more than ten pounds and he absolutely could not do anything but lay or sit. 

 

Louis was familiar with placenta previa, as he had had it with Archer. The doctor had informed them that it might get a lot worse than it did with Archer. Harry couldn't help but keep his eyes on Louis as the doctor explained everything. He wanted to make sure that Louis didn't break down into sobs at the news. Surprisingly, Louis just smiled and nodded his head, understanding everything the doctor said. 

 

He watched as Louis' arm was stuffed with a needle and hooked up to a drip. He watched as their baby was monitored and Louis was checked over from head to toe, multiple times. His blood was taken and his vitals were recorded. He watched Louis' face as the doctor told them that they were going to try to get the baby to thirty-four wees. 

 

 _Try_. 

 

They were going to  _try_ to get their baby to thirty-four weeks, which wasn't long enough for Harry. He almost jumped out of his chair when the doctor had said the possibility of the baby coming before then was bigger than the possibility of delivering after the thirty-four week mark. The look on Louis' face didn't change, but he didn't dare bring it up yet. He was going to do that at home. 

 

He had already signed the discharge papers and the nurse was setting Louis up with a wheelchair. He paced outside the hospital room door, which was weird. They'd been in that hospital so many times. They'd had all of (minus Olivia and Bella) of their babies there, Harry was there for a time after his car accident, it's where Louis ended up after he'd fallen down the stairs, it's where Zayn and Perrie met and loved and died. 

 

"Alright, Mr. Styles." The nurse pulled Harry out of his thoughts, pushing Louis' chair right up next to him. He looked down, and Louis was already looking up at him, smiling softly. He felt Louis' hand circle his, and they made their way to the elevators, hand in hand. 

 

"Ready to go home?" He asked Louis, pushing the first floor button for the nurse. 

 

Louis nodded and clutched his one hand on his stomach. "Yes." He answered excitedly, but softly. He was tired, incredibly so, and  _rightfully_ so. He'd experienced the longest, most dreadful forty hours and he was ready to go home, see his babies, and sleep. 

 

"Now, remember." The nurse spoke, handing Harry a big packet of papers. "Take it easy, Louis. Bed rest, and it's important that you follow through. No working, bending more than necessary, lifting heavy things - " 

 

"How  _heavy_ is heavy?" Louis interrupted her. 

 

"Ten pounds." The nurse answered. 

 

"Dang." He clicked his tongue. He was going to scoop up his babies when he got home. Now he couldn't do that. 

 

"Can he like, sit? Is that considered bed rest?" Harry asked, stepping out when the elevator doors opened. "Sit on the couch or in chairs? Or is it strictly on the bed?" 

 

"Harry, I've been on bed rest before." Louis reminded him. 

 

"Yes, but, that was minor. The doctor said absolutely no getting out of bed. I'm just asking if  _bed_ meant just as long as you were sitting?" Harry bit his lower lip and looked from Louis to the nurse as they walked out of the hospital doors. 

 

"Any position where he's reclined." She answered. "Bed is preferable, but I know that it can get irritating. You two should be fine. The papers I gave you describe everything in detail and explain what you can and can't do, as well as a list of foods to help the baby's development." 

 

Harry helped Louis stand from the wheelchair and thanked the nurse. He helped Louis into the car and slid in behind him. Their driver closed the door and Louis waved at the nurse through the window. When they pulled away, he looked over at Harry. 

 

Harry grabbed his hand and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles. "I told you everything was going to be fine." He said with a small, sweet smile. 

 

Louis smiled back, but a voice at the back of his mind kept saying, " _For now."_  

 

-

 

Harry helped Louis right upstairs and into their bed, which had all brand new sheets, comforter, and pillows, extra fluffy, to make Louis' bed rest more enjoyable. He'd also taken Louis' nightstand and gotten a bigger one, with more drawers and a magazine rack at the bottom, which was conveniently filled with new magazines. The drawers held some of Louis' favorite candies and some books. 

 

"Settle your lovely little self down and I'll bring in the babies." Harry promised, leaning across the bed to peck Louis' lips. "They've been dying to see you." 

 

Louis shoved another pillow behind his back and one under his knees. "Well," He huffed. "I'm excited to see them." 

 

"I'm going to go and get them now." Harry warned with a smile on his face. "They're a little rambunctious." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "They're always rambunctious. Now, go and get my babies." 

 

-

 

After spending a very long time together, the kids slowly began to filter out, leaving one by one and two by two, until it was just Harry and Louis laying together on the bed. Louis' mum was still in the house, downstairs making dinner, after refusing Harry's offer to leave. She wanted to stay and try to keep things normal, as she put it. Harry didn't argue, and instead enjoyed the delicious smells wafting up from the kitchen. 

 

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" He asked Louis, absentmindedly tracing circles onto Louis' exposed belly. 

 

"I try not to think about it." Louis answered, staring at the ceiling. "Because if I think about it being a girl, it'll come out a boy. If I think about it being a boy, it'll come out a boy." 

 

Harry laughed. "Sorry. All I seem to give you is boys." 

 

"Olivia is not a boy." Louis pointed out. 

 

"Technically, she was a boy until she was born." Harry remembered Zayn congratulating them on such a beautiful daughter, right as they were holding her, still wet and screaming from birth. They were speechless, to say the least. Their doctor was sure she was a boy. 

 

"Whatever." Louis sighed quietly. "I hope this baby is okay. That's all I want." 

 

"Hey." Harry's fingers ceased their movements and he propped himself up. "The baby is going to be fine. They're going to come out screaming and kicking and probably weighing ten pounds because that's all I can give you. They're going to have a head full of hair and I hope they have bright blue eyes and look exactly like you." 

 

Louis inhaled deeply, letting Harry's words soak in. He _loved_ that Harry assured him almost every hour that everything was going to be okay. Harry was so quick to tell him that things were fine and dandy and he absolutely refused to believe that anything was wrong with their baby. 

 

But, Louis  _knew_. 

 

He wished that Harry did too. Harry was never pregnant and he would never be pregnant. Harry would never know when something was wrong like he did. Harry would never feel that something was wrong like he did. Harry didn't understand that Louis just  _knew_. 

 

And he wished Harry would. 

 

Because he could listen to Harry talk about how their baby was going to come out and be free of any problems and they would be able to take their baby home and everyone would be happy and healthy, but at the end of the day, he knew that it was not the case. Sure, in time, their baby would be fine, God willing. But Louis  _knew_ that something was wrong and there was a possibility that not only one but  _both_ of them would be staying in the hospital for a long time. 

 

He wanted to scream at Harry, to try and get him to understand that not everything was fine and it was  _okay_ that not everything was fine. Harry spent so much time believing that their baby was going to be perfect that Louis worried for him. He worried that when their baby came and  _wasn't_ perfect that Harry wouldn't know how to react. That everything he'd been believing and telling himself wasn't really happening. 

 

He worried that he would have to step up and he wouldn't be physically or emotionally able to. When the time for him to be admitted to the hospital was near, he needed Harry to take charge and be strong. He would be physically and emotionally drained and exhausted and Harry would have to be the rock. Harry would have to step up and  _that's_ when Harry could tell him that everything was going to be okay. 

 

But now? 

 

Harry needed to tell him that they were going to get through everything together and that no matter what happened, they were a family and their baby was going to be loved and cherished no matter what. That's what he needed to hear right then. 

 

When the baby came? 

 

Harry could tell him everything was going to be fine and that the baby was fine and he was fine and the whole world was fine. He could say those things until he was blue in the face. But, there were certain words he needed to hear at certain times, and Harry didn't understand. Harry thought they were invincible. 

 

And for several moments, Louis allowed himself to believe that they were. 

 

 

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

Louis stretched his limbs out and made a little squeaking noise before opening his eyes. He relaxed and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, allowing the sleep to leave his system. He yawned and turned to look at the clock. It was a little after ten, and he loved it. Bed rest was  _glorious_. He hated it during his other pregnancies, but something has changed. Now he welcomed the idea of not leaving bed. 

 

He got to lay back and relax, lay with Harry and talk, watch a bit of TV, knit, play on his laptop, do whatever he wanted, and normally, it would drive him insane, but it was a nice break from chasing the kids all day, everyday. He stretched his arms out once more and let his shirt ride up past his belly, which had gotten bigger now that he was almost twenty-five weeks. 

 

He sat up and just kept himself in the middle of the bed, tangled with the messy sheets and stared at the door, willing Harry to walk in at any second. When it didn't happen, he scooted to the edge of the bed. "Harry!" He called, thankful that the kids were all in school. If not, they'd all come stampeding in and disturb his peaceful morning - one of the first peaceful mornings he's had in  _years_. 

 

A few moments later, Harry's tall frame entered the doorway, eyebrow crooked. "You screamed for me, my dear?" He asked dryly. 

 

Louis nodded once. "Yes." He replied. He stretched out his arms and made grabby hands. "Come here please. I wanna cuddle." 

 

" _That_ ," Harry stepped into the room. "I will never say no to." When he was just inches away from his pregnant spouse, Louis curled his fingers in the lapel of his shirt and tugged him closer. 

 

"You weren't in bed with me when I woke up." Louis pouted, scooting back so that Harry could lay down. 

 

"That's because you sleep for a very long time, Princess." Harry explained, moving the wad of blankets Louis had created to the side. He laid on his back and held his arm up, waiting for Louis to curl up. 

 

"It's delightful." Louis giggled. He was never one to lounge in bed for hours upon hours, but again, he enjoyed it this time around. 

 

Harry kissed the side of his head and hummed. "Well, I can imagine. You've been running after our kids for almost ten years. You're bound to burn out some time. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't sooner." 

 

"Me too." Louis wholeheartedly agreed. He loved his kids, but they were exhausting  _all_ the time. 

 

"My good little spouse." Harry murmured. "My good little wife." 

 

Louis giggled some more and nipped at the inside of Harry's bicep. "Aren't you tired of running after them too? I mean, we have to do it because they're our kids, but do you sometimes just want to..." 

 

"Get pregnant and stay on bed rest?" Harry filled in with a quirky smile. "Yeah." 

 

Louis nudged Harry. "You know what I mean." 

 

Harry exhaled slowly and glanced at Louis through his peripheral vision. "Yeah, I do. But I think every parent goes through that stage. Trying to be perfect for your kids is exhausting." 

 

Louis nodded. "But I'm perfect enough for the both of us, so." He turned to Harry with a blinding smile. 

 

"I do agree with that." Harry laughed. "You're so perfect. My perfect, pregnant little spouse." 

 

-

 

 At twenty-four weeks, Louis found himself back in the hospital bed, hooked up to various monitors that tracked their baby's progress. The bleeding wasn't so bad that time, but it was enough to scare Harry, who was a nervous wreck. The doctor had assured them that Louis would have little episodes every now and then, and although it was serious that time, because of the amount of blood, the others wouldn't warrant a hospital visit. 

 

But she was glad they came in when they did. She was glad that Harry was scared enough for Louis and about Louis to bring him in. When they were released to go home, after a stressful four hours, Harry kept himself plastered to Louis. He walked slowly with Louis, hand on his lower back, making sure that he didn't strain himself in the least bit. When they got home, he led Louis upstairs so carefully that Louis had to roll his eyes almost every step. 

 

When he settled Louis back into bed, his heart finally stopped racing. He was sure that his heart rate was at an unhealthy high during the bleeding episode. He listened to Louis huff and puff as he made himself comfortable on the bed, then climbed in right behind him. 

 

''I can feel you worrying." He spoke to Harry. 

 

"You can't either." Harry responded quietly. 

 

"Can so." Louis sniffed. "Stop worrying. Everything is fine." 

 

"Everything is not fine." Harry said shortly. "Did you not listen to the doctor?" 

 

"Yes, Harry." Louis sighed and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. 

 

"She mentioned a c-section earlier than what we thought." Harry reminded Louis, as if he could have forgotten. It was his body, after all. "That's not fine." 

 

"But it  _is_." Louis assured Harry. "I trust the doctor. If she thinks that the baby needs to come earlier, fine. If she thinks the baby needs to cook a little longer, so be it. It's out of our control, Harry." 

 

"I just don't see how you're okay with that." Harry said gruffly. "How are you calm? Louis, fuck. I'm  _terrified_ something is going to happen and I'll lose you and the baby." 

 

Louis felt around and grasped Harry's hand. He squeezed it tight in reassurance. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm bulletproof." He joked, trying to lighten the mood. When he heard Harry's scowl, he sighed. "Harry, listen. I want to tell you that nothing is going to happen, but I don't  _know_." 

 

Harry was quiet for several moments. Louis has had a hard time with almost all of his pregnancies. He wanted to know why they were cursed like that. Why they just couldn't have babies without any problems during pregnancy. It wasn't fair, especially for Louis. God, he's gone through so much to bring those babies into the world. It just wasn't fair. 

 

"Harry?" Louis asked quietly. He squeezed Harry's hand and sighed in relief when Harry squeezed back. "I hope everything is okay." 

 

"Me too." Harry replied with a whisper. "Me too." 

 

-

 

Harry was apprehensive going back to work. Even though Louis insisted many times and even threatened him in the early morning hours, he still found it difficult to get in the back of the town car and let himself be driven to his work. He was so anxious and afraid that something would happen to Louis while he was gone and he'd come home and he'd be too late. 

 

In the few weeks after Louis had his last bleeding incident, he was so scared to leave Louis for one second. He needed to be near him at all times. So much could happen and he wanted to be prepared. He was so fearful about everything. 

 

He had to shake those fears off of himself all day, hindering his work flow. He was so unfocused and Liam noticed. Liam and Niall knew from the very start about Louis' problems with this pregnancy, and they offered their support whenever they could. Liam hated seeing his friend go through all of this, and he couldn't begin to imagine how Louis was doing. Externally, Louis always had a smile on. Internally, he could be a different story. 

 

He managed to get some work done, between looking at the pictures of him and Louis and the kids on his desk and checking his phone every three seconds. By the time five-thirty rolled around, he was locking his office door and hopping into the elevator. The town car was waiting outside and he slid in the back, clutching his briefcase nervously. The whole drive home he felt nauseous on what he might go home to. 

 

He tipped the driver when they rolled up to his house and made his way up the sidewalk and up the stairs. When he opened the door, his shoulders sagged when he heard his babies laughing. The house smelled good and everyone seemed - 

 

The house smelled good? He dropped his briefcase down and frowned. Anger bubbled in his stomach when he realized that someone was cooking. Louis was  _not_ supposed to be standing at all. He marched through the foyer, into the dining room, and into the kitchen. 

 

"You are  _not_ supposed to be cooking - " He said angrily, stopping short when he realized that it was  _not_ Louis. It was Jay, and she smiled warmly at him. 

 

"Hello, Harry!" She chirped, unfazed by his anger. She understood what he was going through. "Hungry?" 

 

"Uh, yes." He nodded. "Forgive me for yelling." 

 

She waved him off. "I understand. It's perfectly fine." 

 

"Harry? Is that you?" Louis called from the den. He'd been waiting all day for Harry to get home. 

 

"He's been dying to see you all day." Jay told Harry. "He's in the den. Go to him." 

 

He did just that. He left the kitchen and walked through a mess of toys before reaching the den. The fireplace was going, which didn't make sense, because it was only September. It was still warm out. Louis was sitting on the couch, covered up in a blanket. When he saw Harry, he reached his arms out. 

 

"I missed you." He said, clutching Harry close when the older man leaned down to envelop him. 

 

"I missed you too." Harry kissed Louis' cheek and pulled away slightly. He assessed the way Louis was sitting on the couch and slid in beside him. Louis rearranged himself so that Harry could hold him. "What did you do all day?" 

 

Louis shrugged and let his head rest on Harry's chest. "Knitted a bit. Watched some TV. Watched the kids play." 

 

"Why is the fireplace going?" He asked, nodding to the roaring fire. 

 

"I got cold." Louis explained. He gestured to the sweater he was wearing. "It just hit me a few hours after you left. I felt like I was in a freezer." 

 

Harry frowned. "Should we call the doctor? Is that a symptom?" 

 

"Harry, I'm fine. I'm just cold." Louis reassured Harry. "Please stop worrying." 

 

"That's easier said than done." Harry grumbled, settling back against the couch. "Have you bled today? If you have, I'm driving you to the hospital and you're not leaving until we have the baby." 

 

Louis laughed under his breath and shook his head. "No, I haven't bled today. Or yesterday, or the day before." 

 

"Just let me know. You're getting close to what the doctor said was a good time for a c-section." Harry reminded him. Louis was twenty eight weeks now and though Harry loved his little belly, he loved the baby inside of it more, and he just wanted to get everything over with. He wanted Louis to be healthy again. He wanted to meet that little baby and know that he or she was perfectly fine. 

 

He wanted everything to be okay again. 


	20. Chapter 20

With the added stress of Louis' pregnancy and Harry's tedious work load, the pair neglected to buy their children the necessary supplies they needed for the school year that had started a month prior. Louis felt that he had let his school-age children down, so he settled himself on their bed, laptop warming his thighs, and made Harry sit next to him. He opened up a few websites. 

 

"Okay, you have the school supply list." He said once he realized that he no longer possessed the crumpled piece of paper. He waited, watching as Harry dug around in his pocket. Once Harry had it, he dropped it into Louis' hand. "Thank you." Louis said dryly. He unfolded the paper and smoothed it out. 

 

"It's ridiculous that they need so much shit." Harry mumbled, spooning yogurt into his mouth. 

 

"It's private school, so." Louis shrugged and side-eyed Harry. "If you drop that disgusting stuff onto my bed, Harry, I'll - " 

 

"I won't, I won't." Harry rolled his eyes. "I know. You'll kill me. You threaten to kill me all the time nowadays. Should I be worried?" He looked at Louis in playful questioning. 

 

Louis hummed. "I wouldn't be." He replied airily. "For now. Now, let's see. Who shall we start with first? My Beanie baby?" 

 

"He's the oldest, so of course." Harry nodded. "I just can't believe that he's already expected to have a computer." 

 

"Well, if he needs it, he needs it." Louis replied, scanning the list. "It says that this particular website deals with computers needed for younger aged students. So I trust that he won't be seeing any naked people on them." 

 

"Good to know." Harry remarked. "However, on  _my_ computer, there are plenty of naked pictures." 

 

Louis scoffed and glared at Harry. "There better not be." He gestured to his body, adding emphasis on his swollen belly. "Not while you've got  _this_ waiting for you."

 

Harry leaned over and pecked Louis' cheek. "You've got nothing to worry about, my love. The pictures are of you." 

 

"I forgot about your little fetish." Louis rolled his eyes and clicked around on the website. He began adding a few things to the cart. 

 

 

"A delightful little fetish, too." Harry added. "I think maybe I'll get every single picture blown up and we can hang them around our room. I'll put a few in my study, and even my office at work. God, our house would be a museum." 

 

"No one on earth will see those pictures besides me and you." Louis warned. "Got it?" 

 

"Of course, baby. No one's earned the right to see them anyway." 

 

-

 

 Harry and Louis were arguing. Well, could it be called arguing if they'd had the discussion multiple times over the past few years? It was frustrating for both of them. It was frustrating this time for Louis, who couldn't even stand up and walk around while they fought, and it was frustrating for Harry, who couldn't follow Louis with his hands on his hips. They'd never fought sitting down before. 

 

"I understand why you're telling me no, but I'm telling you yes." Louis glared at his insanely stressed out husband. 

 

"Louis, listen to me. If I want to stay home from work and be with you, I'm going to do it. Thank you for the permission to actually go to work, but I'll pass." Harry snipped. From his position at the end of the bed, he had a full view of Louis' rolling eyes. 

 

"You are  _not_ staying home." Louis shook his head. "We both know what happens when you don't work." 

 

"I need to be here with you." Harry was trying his hardest to get his point across. "I need to be here in case something happens." 

 

"I get that, Harry, I really do, but you  _need_ to work. You can't stay home. We both know what happens. We've tried you staying home before. We fought all the time." 

 

"I know. I remember. But I just can't leave you right now. You're so close to Dangerous Territory." Harry's eyes flickered to Louis' belly. Dangerous Territory is what their doctor called labor. For Louis, it was in fact dangerous. 

 

Louis sighed and tossed his head back. As he tapped a little rhythm onto his stomach, he inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying to relax himself. He was in no mood to yell at Harry. "You need to work. But I suppose if you really want to stay home, you can work in your study. I just need you to work." 

 

Harry frowned. "Why do you need me to work?" 

 

"Because, Harry, believe it or not, you get snappy and mean when you don't work. I don't need you to be screaming at me when I need help standing up." 

 

Harry got to his knees and crawled up the bed, hovering over Louis. He pecked his lips once, twice, three times and pulled away. "Okay, baby. But for the record, I would never scream at you. I love you too much." 

 

"You say that now," Louis hummed, draping his arms around Harry's neck. "But it's happened before." 

 

Guilt settled in the pit of Harry's stomach. He knew that it's happened before. He can name every single numerous time that he's yelled at Louis for little or no reason at all. He can remember vividly every moment where a tired, worn out, and dejected Louis has asked him for help only to be turned down. He was always  _too busy_ to help the person he married with the kids he sired. 

 

A gentle hand brushed his curls aside, and he looked down. Louis was staring up at him, concerned. 

 

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked quietly, blue eyes searching green ones. 

 

"Just thinking about what I'd do differently if I had the chance." Harry answered. He leaned down and brushed his lips against Louis'. 

 

"Oh?" Louis' lips moved against his. "Are there many instances you'd change?" 

 

"A few. None of the good stuff." He promised. "Just a few things throughout our marriage that I'm not proud of." 

 

"Oh." Louis understood. He knew Harry felt guilty a lot of times for the way he'd treated him. But he also knew that Harry was sorry a thousand times over. He always did his best to assure Harry that he was forgiven. "Let's not dwell on the past, love." 

 

With another quick peck, Harry pulled away. "Sure, baby. What do you suppose we do now? The kids are asleep," He raked his eyes down Louis' body. "And you look absolutely delectable." 

 

Louis giggled. "Lying is a sin." 

 

"Would never lie about how ravishing you look." Harry promised. "Especially when you've got my baby inside of you." 

 

Louis gasped shortly after Harry said that, hands flying to his stomach. His wide eyes and open mouth sent Harry into a tailspin of panic. His heart began racing and he just  _knew_ that something bad had happened. He hopped off the bed and raked his hands through his hair.  _God_ , what was - 

 

"Harry!" Louis shouted. "I said, get over here!" 

 

Harry paused and looked towards Louis. Gone was the frightened look on his face. It was replaced with a look of bliss. He gestured for Harry to come forward, which he did. Slowly but surely, he made his way over to the side of the bed and let Louis take his hand. His heart rate slowed as Louis placed his hand onto the curve of his exposed belly. 

 

"What - ?" He asked, looking up at Louis. 

 

"Just wait." Louis smiled at him softly. 

 

He waited, and waited, hand on Louis' warm skin, and just as he was about to give up, he felt it. A little nudge against his palm. He gasped, and felt another one, harder this time. Their baby was finally kicking. His heart melted and he placed his other one on top of Louis' belly. 

 

"Jesus." He choked. "Little kicker in there." 

 

Louis giggled. "Tell me about it." Though he was uncomfortable, he was glad. It was the happiest moment in the pregnancy, finally feeling their baby kick. Neither could keep the smiles off of their faces. 

 

If only they knew that their happiness was soon to be over. 


	21. Chapter 21

Harry Styles was a worrier. He worried at age eleven, when he scored a simple 99% on an important test, wondering what his harsh father would say about it. He worried at age seventeen when he finally got it through his head that he liked boys. He worried at age eighteen when he became a dominant, and he worried when they couldn't find a single soul to match him with. He worried at age twenty-five, when he finally got a call saying that they'd found his soulmate. He worried when he met the eighteen year old he would end up spending the rest of his life with. 

 

He worried when he hurt Louis. 

 

He worried when they argued about children. 

 

He worried when Louis got pregnant the first time. He worried when Louis got pregnant the second and third and fourth time. He worried when Louis got pregnant the fifth and sixth time too. 

 

He worried with each pregnancy. He worried that Louis wasn't getting enough rest and nutrients, and he worried that the babies would come out with three heads and nine eyeballs. He worried that their babies would be less than perfect. 

 

He worried as each pregnancy progressed and the doctors had to tell them that something was wrong during the last few. He worried that something traumatic would happen and their families would never be the same every again. 

 

But this time? 

 

This time he was worried for Louis and their unborn baby.

 

-

 

He hadn't bothered to wash his hands or change his clothes. The blood on them was uncomfortable and dry, but he didn't even notice. He didn't notice the looks he got from other patrons of the hospital, he ignored the pitiful looks he got from nurses and orderlies. He avoided eye contact with anyone passing with a fat, healthy baby. He just sat in the burgundy chair by himself and waited to see a familiar face, whether it be a doctor or Louis' parents, who were on their way. He had to wake them up, seeing as it was just three in the morning. 

 

As he listened to Louis' mother cry on the phone, he had to blink back his own tears. 

 

"Mr. Styles?" A calming voice asked. 

 

He looked up and stood, reaching out to shake hands with the doctor. He pulled back quickly, noticing the blood on his hands. "Sorry." He apologized. "How is he? How's my baby?" 

 

Dr. Stevens tucked his clipboard under his arm and stared at Harry in the eye. "Not good. Mr. Styles, I know this is cliche, but if you would have waited just  _one_ minute to bring him in, I'm afraid the news would be tragic. Louis is going to be okay, as is the baby." 

 

"What happened?" Harry asked, unclear on the details himself. All he knew is that he woke up covered in Louis' blood and had to carry him when he found it difficult to even stand. He remembered Louis' legs shaking so badly when he had tried. He mindlessly wiped his hands on his pajama pants. 

 

"It's unclear at the moment, but after a thorough examination of your husband, we believe that the placenta detached completely, which is why he bled so much. You were very lucky, bringing him in when you did." Dr. Stevens explained. "However, there is no way around it. We need to do an emergency c-section. It's important that we don't waste any time." 

 

The doctor sounded so sure and confident, and Harry paled. "What? No, you can't. He's - he's only thirty two weeks! It's too early! The baby will die!" He panicked completely. "I need to see Louis." 

 

Dr. Stevens nodded. "Only for a moment. They're prepping him for surgery right now." He stepped back and gestured for Harry to go ahead and go into the room. Harry nodded in thanks and wiped his hands again on his pants. The door seemed heavy, and he pushed it open slowly, unsure of what he might see.

 

On the bed, Louis was reclined, tubes in his nose and up his arms. His belly was exposed and there were monitors attached. His skin was pale and his eyes were half-open, but he smiled at Harry anyway. A sob settled in his throat. 

 

"Come here." Louis requested, voice quiet. He reached a hand out and waved Harry forward. He moved forward with zombie-like precision, scared to get too close. When he was at the edge of the bed, Louis grabbed his hand. "I love you." 

 

"Don't say that shit." He snapped, voice thick. He  _refused_ to cry. 

 

Louis looked at Harry with understanding. "I tried to get the baby to thirty four weeks." He said, blinking slowly. "I guess they've got the impatient Styles' gene." 

 

A small smile played at Harry's lips. "I guess." He agreed, looking at Louis' belly. In a few short hours, that belly will be cut open, have a baby pulled from it, and stitched right back up. "How do you feel?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "Like I could sleep for a hundred days." He answered honestly. 

 

"Well, when this baby is out and we're home, I'll take care of them. You can play Sleeping Beauty in our room." At the mention of their room, Harry made a quick note to himself to change the sheets and throw the blood stained ones out before the kids found them. 

 

"Deal." Louis squeezed Harry's hand and shook it back and forth. They stared at each other for what felt like years. Harry would never get tired of looking into Louis' eyes. 

 

A knock interrupted them, and they looked to the door. "Sorry to bother you, but we're ready to go ahead with the procedure." A nurse stepped in. "Mr. Styles? You can walk with us if you'd like." 

 

"Wait!" Louis raised his voice. "He can't come with us?" 

 

"I'm afraid not." The nurse shook her head in sympathy. "Not with emergencies like this." 

 

"If this was a real emergency you'd have taken the baby out as soon as we got here!" Louis shouted, breathing heavily. 

 

Harry reached out and grabbed Louis' arm. "Baby, calm down." 

 

"I won't!" Louis looked up at Harry. His eyes were wet. "You have to be with me. Harry, I can't do this alone." He was shaking his head furiously. "I refuse!" 

 

Harry knelt down and put his hands on Louis' face. "Look at me.  _Look_ at me. You  _can_ do this. God, I want to be with you so badly, but if it's an emergency, I understand why I can't be with you." 

 

Louis sniffed and blinked. Harry let his thumbs catch the tears that fell. "It's not an emergency though. They would have done this as soon as we got here if it was." He whispered. 

 

"Baby, we've been here for less than an hour." Harry told Louis. "It's a big emergency. They're going to take you and make sure you and our baby are alright. Okay? Okay?" Harry was nodding his head like everything was going to be okay, but they both knew it was far from the truth. 

 

The nurse stepped forward, and Louis held out his hands. He was afraid that if she came any closer, something would happen. She was going to take him away and Harry wasn't going to see their baby come out of the womb like he had the other times. "Wait! Why can't he come with me?" He turned from her to Harry. He gripped Harry's hand tightly. "Why can't you come with me? Harry, I'm scared." 

 

Harry was strong. He didn't cry. He blinked back the burning tears and held onto Louis. "Baby. My love. My sweet, lovely Louis. I know you're scared. I'm scared too, baby. But I want to meet our baby so bad, don't you?" 

 

Louis nodded as another wave of tears fell from his eyes. 

 

Harry brushed them away with his thumb. "Good. That means the doctors have to take you and make sure the baby comes out okay, okay? If they stay in there any longer, who knows what might happen. If they cook any longer, they might come out looking like you." 

 

A small giggle erupted from Louis. "Good." He sniffled and blinked up at Harry. His eyelashes were wet and clumped together. 

 

"Mr. Styles?" The nurse spoke quietly. They turned and saw that even she had tears in her eyes. "The reason your husband can't come is because we may have to put you out." She hesitated, then stepped forward again. "But if you'd like, I can pull some strings with the doctor? I'd hate for you to miss the birth of your first baby." 

 

"Oh." Louis burst into another round of giggles. "Harry, she thinks this is our first." 

 

Harry just grinned and nodded. "I know, baby. You just look that good." 

 

The nurse looked confused. 

 

"It's our seventh." Harry supplied, and the look on her face was well worth it. "I know, I know. I clearly missed the day they taught how to put on a condom in health class." 

 

The nurse broke into a broad smile and nodded. "I'll go talk to the doctor. In the meantime, I'll let the other nurses know that you're ready and they'll get you rolling." She left the room, a new bounce in her step. 

 

When she was gone, Harry turned to Louis and squeezed his hand. "Ready?" He asked. 

 

Louis took in a shaky breath and nodded. "Are you?" 

 

-

 

Harry paced the floor of the hospital and tried not to scream and cry. He was aggravated, frustrated, and downright pissed off. He was angry at himself, he was angry at Louis, he was angry at  _God_. He needed someone to blame. He tore his hands through his hair and kicked at the stone wall. In his fit of anger, he didn't notice Jay and Dan round the corner, cups of coffee in their hands. 

 

"Harry?" Jay stopped short. "Honey, what's wrong?" 

 

"Everything was going so well!" He shouted, turning his anger to a chair. He kicked at it. 

 

Jay's face fell and her eyes instantly welled up. "Oh no." Her hands were shaking as she sat down. "Oh no!" Dan immediately dropped down to comfort her. 

 

"It's all my fault." Harry's heart was racing a hundred miles a second. "It's all my fucking fault. He's good. He's good! Why does this have to happen to him? Why? What the fuck did he ever do to anyone to warrant this?" 

 

Dan stood and marched over to Harry. He wasn't about to let his son in law make a scene in the quiet of the hospital. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and gave him a shake. "Settle down!" He ordered. He waited until Harry's wild eyes calmed down. "Tell us what happened." 

 

Harry opened and closed his mouth several times. God. What had happened? He couldn't even remember. He racked his brain. "He started bleeding." He began hoarsely. 

 

Dan nodded. "Okay, good. What else?" 

 

Harry's eyes began searching the walls around them. Why couldn't he remember anything? "A lot. There was a lot of blood. The doctors gown was soaked in it." His eyes landed on Jay when he heard a muffled cry. "They made me leave when his heart monitor started beeping." 

 

Dan looked so incredibly sad, but he nodded his head anyway. "So he's okay?" His eyes were wet. 

 

Harry shrugged and shook his head back and forth. "I - I don't know. I barely got to kiss him before they made me leave." He brought his hand up to his mouth and let his fingers ghost over his lips. He remembered pressing his lips to Louis' clearly. It was like it had just happened. 

 

"Is the baby okay?" Jay asked from her chair. Her hands were still trembling and her eyes were red. 

 

Harry broke away from Dan's grasp and sank to his knees in front of Jay. "I don't know." It suddenly felt hard for him to breathe. "I didn't see. I - I didn't even ask, oh my God, what if - " 

 

"Sh." Jay cupped his cheek. "Stop. Don't start thinking about the what-ifs." 

 

Harry hung his head. She was right. He was going to drive himself crazy. "It's all my fault." He croaked. 

 

Jay began petting his hair in a comforting manner. "Why do you think that, love?" Her voice was thick with emotion. She hated seeing Harry like that. 

 

"It's always my fault. God, I kept asking for children. It's my fault he got pregnant so much. God! Why am I so selfish? He's in there fighting for his life because I can't put on a fucking condom." He felt the first of many tears slip down his face, and his shoulders began to shake. 

 

"Oh, Harry." Jay murmured. She wrapped her arms around him the best that she could and held him close. He needed a mother right now, and while his was on her way, Jay was the very next best thing. He felt so comforted, so loved. It was exactly what he needed in that moment. It was the surest thing in his life right now. 

 

And for the first time in his life, he wept, right there, on his knees in the quiet hospital. 

 

-

 

As exhausted as he was, he forced himself to keep his eyes and ears open as the doctor spoke to them. He must have fallen asleep, because his head felt thick and his muscles were screaming for rest. But he stood anyway, next to Jay and Dan, praying to God for good news. 

 

"We're sorry to have kicked you out, Mr. Styles," Doctor Stevens said. He looked as exhausted as Harry felt. "But an crisis occurred and we had to act extremely fast." 

 

Jay furrowed her brow. "Crisis? Why weren't we informed when it happened?" 

 

"Mrs. Tomlinson, we needed all hands on deck. Louis bled a lot during the c-section. It was too much for us to control, because the uterus wouldn't contract. By that time, we had to make a decision. We performed a full hysterectomy, which means that we removed all reproductive organs from Louis' body. Afterwards, his body stopped bleeding and we were able to control it quickly." 

 

Harry's heart dropped into his stomach. He couldn't process what he had just been told. "What?" 

 

Doctor Stevens looked over at him. "Mr. Styles," He held his arm out. "Could I speak to you for a moment in private?" 

 

Harry nodded wordlessly and followed Dr. Stevens a few feet away. "Is he okay?" He asked. 

 

"Oh, of course. He's perfectly fine. Now, the reason I wanted to talk to you was because we have some things I'd like to go over with you. It's a very good probability that Louis will experience a range of emotions when he figures out that he can no longer bear children. We're going to do our best to assure him that it was the best thing for him - " 

 

"Wait," Harry shook his head. "The best thing for him? How is taking his reproductive organs out the best thing for him?" 

 

Dr. Stevens exhaled slowly. "Mr. Styles, the human body is made to accommodate children and childbirth. At best, it can handle four pregnancies. Anything after that just gets risky. Louis has been pregnant seven times. He's experienced twins, two c-sections, a birth at home, and multiple things have gone wrong during the pregnancies. Placenta previa, placental abruption, hemorrhaging to name a few. His body is so small that it just couldn't handle everything it was put through. We had to do what we had to do to save him. It may take awhile for you to accept it, but - " 

 

"No." Harry interrupted. "I understand." He cleared his throat and blinked his eyes a few times. They were probably puffy and sore from crying so much earlier. 

 

"Now, we had to put him under after you left, and it'll take awhile for the anesthesia to wear off. He'll be incredibly sore, and rightfully so. I just wanted you to know that we did everything we could to save him." 

 

"And you did." Harry said. "Thank you." 

 

Dr. Stevens smiled and patted him on the back. He looked over Harry's shoulder and stepped away to make room for a nurse. She was holding a little white bundle. "Now, would you like to meet your baby boy?" 

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i made shit up just go with it

Harry had been cradling his new baby for what seemed like years. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the smooth skin, or his rosy cheeks, or his little button nose. He stared in amazement at the little eyelashes that fanned over his cheeks, and the little furrow to his brow as he slept. The little frown was all Louis, no doubt about that. Harry can recall countless times he's had to soothe that same frown from Louis in the middle of the night. All he had to do was rub it gently away with his thumb, or kiss it away. He wondered if it worked with this tiny new person in his arms. 

 

He leaned down and kissed between the baby's eyebrows and pulled back. He wanted to cry when he saw the baby's face relax. He let out a shaky sigh and held his son a bit closer. His  _son_. His sixth son. It seemed so crazy yet so unimaginable at the same time. He had to carefully move an arm up so that he could wipe at his welling eyes. 

 

"Harry?" Jay asked. Her and Dan were standing right next to him, staring in wonder at the baby in his arms. He'd forgotten they were there. 

 

"Yeah?" He asked, clearing his throat. His voice was thick with tears. He looked over at Jay, who looked like she'd been crying. Dan looked that way too. He wondered if they cried when they heard about Louis or when they saw the baby. Probably both, as he had. 

 

"The doctors need to take him back now." She rubbed at his arm with one hand and caressed the baby's cheek with the other. 

 

"What?" Harry blinked and turned back to Dr. Stevens and the nurse. "Why?" 

 

"We need to put him on a breathing machine and put him under the incubator." The nurse supplied. She was with Louis in the hospital room, Harry remembered. He recognized her warm smile instantly. He didn't feel so hesitant to let his baby go now. But he still didn't want to. 

 

"He's breathing on his own." Harry said dumbly. Of course they knew that. They also knew what was best for his baby. They were practicing professionals and he was just a worried father. 

 

"Yes," The nurse nodded her head. "But we need to make sure that he's not struggling to breathe. While we take him and fix him right up, why don't you go sit with your husband?" 

 

"Is he awake?" Harry asked hopefully. 

 

"Not yet." The nurse replied, making a cradle with her arms. "It'll take a few hours, but when he wakes, he'll want you there." 

 

"He said that?" Harry asked brightly, trying not to cry as he deposited the baby carefully into the nurses arms. When the nurse was holding the baby, he jerked and began to fuss. Harry wanted to take him back and cradle him from everything.  _He_ could take care of the baby. They didn't need a hospital. 

 

"He sure did." She smiled up at him. "Now, he's in room 207. I'm going to take this little guy and get him nice and warm. Did we have a name for him?" 

 

Harry's mind blanked. They'd never talked about names. He shook his head. "No." He answered. "Not yet."

 

"That's fine." The nurse said warmly. "We'll just call him Baby Styles for right now. Say goodbye, Dad." 

 

He leaned down and kissed his baby's forehead again and tried not to cry when the nurse walked away. He had just gotten his baby, for God's sake. He watched her go and tried not to run after her. 

 

"Why don't you go and sit with Louis?" Jay suggested, tapping his arm. "Dan and I are going to go get some breakfast." 

 

"You're not coming?" He asked, turning to face the couple. They looked tired. 

 

"We will later. You just need to be with him right now, no distractions. I know he'll be wanting to see you." 

 

"Yeah." Harry smiled. Even in his sleep, Louis searched for the warmth and comfort Harry's larger body provided. He knew that Louis would be seeking the same thing in the hospital bed. "Okay. Room 207." He reminded her. 

 

"We know. Now go." 

 

-

 

 By the time Louis began to stir, Harry had eaten a bit of breakfast and gotten a little nap. In fact, he woke up only moments before Louis. He was happy though that he got to see Louis' eyes open and blink a few times. He stood and brushed the hair away from Louis' forehead. 

 

"Hey baby." He greeted quietly. Though the hospital was beginning to bustle, and the clock read almost nine in the morning, he spoke as if it were still midnight. 

 

Louis cleared his throat and blinked up at Harry. "Hi." He croaked. 

 

"Do you want some water, love?" He grabbed the cup, knowing what Louis' answer would be. He held the straw up to Louis' pink lips and held it as his husband drank from it. When it was empty, he sat it back down. "How are you feeling?" 

 

"Tired." Louis coughed. "And sore. So sore." 

 

Harry's face fell slowly. He had to tell Louis the news. He inhaled and grabbed Louis' hand. "Baby, do you remember what happened in the operating room?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "No. I fell asleep." 

 

"They had to put you to sleep." Harry told him. 

 

Louis' brow furrowed and Harry was reminded of their baby boy. "Why?"

 

"Because, baby, you started to bleed a lot. So much that I had to leave and they had to put you to sleep." Harry brushed his thumb across Louis' knuckles. "To stop the bleeding, they had to...they had to take out your reproductive organs." 

 

He watched as Louis' face morphed into one of confusion. "What?" He asked. "What does that mean?" 

 

"It means that you can't have any more babies." Harry answered. He wanted Louis to know the whole truth. This was not the time for Louis to be left in the dark. "When they took your reproductive organs out, you stopped bleeding and they fixed you right up." 

 

"And you're okay with that?" Louis asked. He looked positively heartbroken. "You're okay with the fact that we can't have any more babies?" 

 

"Well, yes." Harry answered. "I know it'll take some time to get used to, but -" 

 

"But what, Harry?" Louis asked angrily. He lifted his hand to his face and Harry's eyes followed the movement of the tube attached. 

 

"It's better than you suffering like that again!" Harry snapped. "Jesus Christ, Louis, your body could barely handle Bean, and I kept getting you pregnant after that. Enough is enough. We have our kids. Just be happy with them." 

 

Louis looked taken aback. "That's how you feel?" 

 

"Yes, it is!" Harry rubbed his hand down his face and sighed. "I would rather you be alive and not able to have any more kids than watch you go through another pregnancy and delivery like this. You almost died, and the doctors are positive that you would have died with another baby. Call me selfish, but I don't care. I'm not about to lose you." 

 

Louis' eyes watered and his lower lip trembled, but he said nothing more. Instead, he reached for Harry and got the hug he was looking for. He melted into Harry's awkward embrace and exhaled shakily. 

 

"When can I see my baby?" He asked quietly into Harry's ear. 

 

"Oh yeah." Harry pulled away and put a crooked smile on his face. 

 

"What?" Louis asked suspiciously, voice thick. He wiped at his eyes and stared at Harry's goofy grin. Harry watched as realization crossed his face. "Oh. Oh for God's sake. Seriously?" 

 

Harry nodded happily and pressed the call button. "Oh yes." He grinned. "Let's meet your baby boy." 

 

-

 

Harry fully expected Louis to cry when he saw their newborn, but he was at a loss when Louis wept when the baby was placed in his arms. He couldn't remember a time in their life together when he witnessed his baby cry so hard. Maybe it was the hormones from birth, or maybe it was the fact that it was their last baby, or maybe it was because he was so high on pain medication but still ached on the inside. Whatever it was had Louis weeping into the little bundle he was cradling in his arms. 

 

"Baby," Harry slid a chair over to the side of the bed and sat, making sure he had a full view of Louis and their tiny son. "You did such a good job." He couldn't praise Louis enough after he had a baby. He did everything but get his husband a trophy. 

 

"He's so beautiful." Louis sobbed, brushing away the wispy brown hairs on their baby's head. "And he's got so much hair." 

 

Harry instinctively ran his hand through his own. "Yeah. Just a little bit." 

 

Louis glanced over at him. "For once, I wish we'd have a bald baby." He sniffled. 

 

Harry couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He'd seen Louis' baby pictures. He was a bald baby, and he got jealous when their own offspring had hair that could be styled a day after birth. "I feel that at least one of them were bald." He racked his brain. They'd had so many kids, it was sort of pointless. His brain was fried. 

 

Louis shook his head. "Nope." He cleared his throat and rubbed his finger along the baby's cheek. "Not that I can remember." He added. 

 

Harry folded his hands on the bed and rested his chin on them. His eyes were heavy and he needed sleep, but he needed to look at Louis and their baby more. He needed to watch them and protect them with his whole being. Sleep could wait. 

 

"What should we name him?" Louis asked, voice lower than before. He was still stroking their baby's sweet, soft face. He just couldn't get enough of the sleeping infant. 

 

Harry shrugged. "I honestly haven't thought of a single name." He admitted. He'd been so busy and his mind was occupied with thoughts of Louis during surgery to even think of a baby name. 

 

A knock on the door sounded, and they both looked up. A nurse was standing at the door, smiling. She stepped in. "Are we all ready to fill out the birth certificate?" 

 

Harry and Louis shared a look. "Uh, actually," Louis said sheepishly. "We don't have a name." 

 

The nurse waved her hand. "That's perfectly fine. We can just fill out the dates and other information." She sat down and typed at the computer in the corner of the room. "So, he was born at five-oh-eight, and coincidentally, weighs eight pounds, five ounces. Quite the healthy little boy you've got there." 

 

"Yeah, you should have met our others." Louis said casually and airily, grinning down at their baby. 

 

"His official birth date is October second, five-oh-eight a.m," The nurse said aloud, to no one in particular. She spoke as she typed. 

 

"Wait, baby," Harry turned to Louis with an astonished look on his face. "Did you hear that?" 

 

"Hear what?" Louis hummed. 

 

"He was born on October second. Does that date ring any bells?" Harry asked. 

 

"It's today, if that's what you mean?" Louis finally glanced up at Harry with a confused face. 

 

"No," Harry shook his head. "We were matched on October second." 

 

Louis frowned. "How do you remember that?" He could barely remember his middle name sometimes. 

 

Harry smiled at him and took his hand. "I remember a lot of things, baby. Especially when I was matched with the most gorgeous person in the world." 

 

Louis blushed, and rightfully so. He was the most ethereal creature Harry had ever seen in his entire life. Louis was nothing short of perfect, even after having major surgery. There was something about him, cradling their newest child, that made Harry want to preserve him in art. 

 

"What else do you remember?" He asked quietly, nibbling at his lower lip. He looked at Harry shyly. 

 

Harry hummed, and thought for a few moments. "Well I remember we ate Chinese food almost every night with Liam and Niall. I remember you making me dinner, because for some reason, you always knew when I had a bad day. I remember you were always carrying around  _To Kill a Mockingbird_ , reading it every time you had a free moment. I remember - " 

 

Louis gasped, and Harry lurched forward, sentence effectively cut short. He stood, almost knocking back the chair, and across the room, the nurse stood too, startled by Louis. 

 

"What?" Harry asked frantically, heart racing. 

 

"I just thought of the most perfect name for him!" Louis cried, blinking up at Harry. "Oh, God, Harry, it's beautiful." 

 

Harry put his hand over his heart and sat, resting his forehead on the edge of the bed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack." He sighed heavily. He felt Louis' fingers run through his hair. 

 

"Sorry." Louis giggled. He shrugged at the nurse, who simply shook her head with a smile and sat back down. 

 

"Alright." Harry lifted his head and rubbed his hands down his face. "Let's hear this name." 

 

-

 

Hours later, when the hospital was quiet once again, the door creaked open and four people stepped inside quietly. Louis, who was on the bed, curled up next to Harry, who was holding their son, looked up. When he saw who it was, he smiled. 

 

"Hi, baby." Jay greeted, stepping over to the bed. Anne followed her, wanting to catch a glimpse at her newest grandson. Dan and Robin weren't far behind. 

 

"Do you all want to meet him?" Harry asked, shifting so that they could have a better look. In his arms, the baby squirmed and opened his little mouth in a yawn. Anne and Jay died on the spot. 

 

"Oh, my gosh." Anne gushed, palming her cheeks. "What a precious little thing!" 

 

"He looks like Harry." Dan commented, craning his neck to catch a glance. 

 

That made Louis roll his eyes. "Tell me about it." 

 

Harry just laughed. "He's got Louis' nose." He informed everyone. "And I believe he's got Louis' cheeks." 

 

"All of your children are perfect combinations of you both." Robin settled. "Now, what's his name?" 

 

Louis bit his lip and glanced at Harry, who licked his lips. "Guys," He held their son a bit closer and stood. "Meet Atticus George Styles." 


	23. Chapter 23

In the early morning hours, there was another knock on Louis' hospital door. This time, though, he knew who it was and he was excited. Harry, who was fast asleep on the cot next to his bed, didn't even stir at the echoing knock. Louis, however, called a quiet welcome and watched the door open. Niall stepped in first, grinning, followed by Bean and Lucas. 

 

He held his arms out, careful of the tubes still attached to one, and waited for his boys to gather close enough to grab. He wrapped his arms around them as best as he could and breathed in their scent. He felt as if he'd gone years without seeing them. 

 

"Mummy?" Lucas asked, looking around the hospital room. He noticed his dad sleeping, and a part of him, the bigger part of him, wanted to curl up right next to him. He'd missed his daddy the past few days. "Where's the baby?" 

 

"Is it a girl?" Bean asked hopefully. He'd been wanting a baby sister for awhile now. Olivia and Bella were nice when they were babies, but now, they got into everything and always wanted to put his hair in pigtails. 

 

"The baby is in the nursery, sleeping." Louis said to Lucas. Then he turned to Bean. "Love, I'm so sorry. I tried my best to give you another little sister, but you've got another baby brother." 

 

Bean sighed but nodded. "That's fine. Can I see him?" 

 

"Of course." Louis dug around on his side and found the call button for the nurse. He pressed it and looked over at Niall. "Hey, stranger. How were my children?" Harry had called on Niall and Liam in the middle of the night to watch their kids, and they were forever in their debt. He knew his kids weren't easy. 

 

"Well, they're  _your_ kids, and I'll leave it at that." Niall joked, sitting down. "They were good. The twins were...themselves, and the girls really babied Archer. Took him right under their wing when he started crying for Harry." 

 

Louis huffed and rolled his eyes. "Why do they never want me?" He glanced down at Bean and Lucas, who were peering up at him. "Why do you all never want me? Why do you always want your dad?" 

 

"I want you, mummy." Lucas answered immediately. "Always more than Daddy." 

 

Bean nodded his head. "Promise." 

 

"Beanie, I have to tell you something." He raised his eyebrows playfully. "You  _never_ used to want me. You always wanted your daddy. You would cry for days when he left." 

 

Bean giggled behind a small palm. "Really?" He was delighted. "Not anymore." He flashed a smile,  _Harry's smile_ , and his dimples popped out.  _Harry's dimples_. It was so strange, looking at their children. For a few brief moments, when he would stare at their faces, he'd catch a glimpse of Harry or himself. It was like there was no difference in those few short seconds. 

 

"Good." He reached forward and ruffled Bean's curly hair. A knock on the door made him glance up. The nurse walked in, smoothing down her scrubs. She flashed an apologetic smile. 

 

"Sorry about that. What can I get for you?" She asked cheerfully. Too cheerfully for eight in the morning. 

 

"Well, they'd like to meet their brother." Louis explained. The nurse held her palms up and nodded. 

 

"Say no more. I'll bring him right in." She was gone in a flash. 

 

"What did you name him?" Niall asked, crossing his leg over his knee. He seemed relaxed in the stiff hospital chair. 

 

"Atticus." Louis answered. He looked down at his boys. "His name is Atticus George." 

 

"Mummy?" Lucas asked. "Why couldn't we have named him what Ollie and Theo suggested?" 

 

Louis exhaled slowly. "Because, love, Ollie and Theo wanted to name the baby Couch. Babies aren't named Couch, silly boy. Besides, I like Atticus much better. Don't you?" 

 

They both nodded vigorously. 

 

"From the book?" Niall asked with a knowing smile. It was one of Louis' favorites, so it was no surprise to him. He loved the name. If fit, especially for a Styles'. 

 

"Yes." Louis grinned. "From the book." 

 

The nurse returned with the baby, and gave a quick knock on the door before opening it wide. She pushed Atticus right in and placed him near the bed. "Let me know if you need help with anything." She said, and left. Louis situated himself slowly on the bed before glancing over at Harry. 

 

"I hate to wake him," He said, turning to Niall. "He's so tired. So, could you - ?" He gestured to the squirming baby. 

 

"Of course!" Niall jumped to his feet and stood over Atticus. "Jesus. No paternity tests needed for this one. Looks exactly like Harry." He scooped Atticus up and cooed down at him. He didn't want the baby to cry. 

 

"Tell me about it." Louis grumbled. He crooked his arms and waited for Niall to slide Atticus into the cradle of them. When he had the warm, welcome weight of his baby in his arms, he turned to goo. There was something about holding the new life in his arms that just got to him. "Okay, boys. Climb up gently."

 

With a little help from Niall, Bean and Lucas climbed onto the bed and sat close enough to see their baby brothers face. It was small and squishy, and Atticus looked like he was angry. His little lips were in a pout and his eyes were glaring at no particular subject. 

 

"He's small." Bean noted, rubbing the tip of his pointer finger through Atticus' hair. "And his hair is so soft!" 

 

"He's very small." Louis stared down at Atticus. It didn't seem possible, having such a big baby at an early date, but with Harry's sperm, anything seemed possible at that point. Their babies defied laws of  _everything_. They should really donate Harry's sperm to scientists. Maybe they could figure out why their baby born at thirty-two weeks weighed eight pounds. 

 

"He's so cute. Lucas gushed, palms resting on his cheeks. "I love him." 

 

"I love him too." Bean stroked down Atticus' soft, bare arm and squealed in delight when Atticus wrapped his little hand around Bean's finger. 

 

"I love him, too." Louis agreed. "Do you think the girls will like him?" 

 

Both Bean and Lucas nodded. "Olivia said that she wants the new baby to sleep with her." Bean informed him. "And Bella said that the baby can wear her sparkling bathing suit instead of pajamas." 

 

"I don't think that would work very well." Louis hummed. "Perhaps Atticus would like to spend his nights in mummy and daddy's room. What do you think?" 

 

"Or maybe my room?" Bean's eyes were hopeful. "I could teach him about dinosaurs." 

 

"He would love that very much." Louis said. "Maybe when he's older, though. He'll forget all about it if you tell him now." 

 

Bean studied Atticus, then nodded his head. "You're probably right. Though I wouldn't let Ollie and Theo near him." 

 

Louis gave his oldest son a questioning glance. "Why not?" 

 

"They want to start a circus." Lucas explained. "And they said they want Atticus to be the main act!" 

 

Louis glanced over at Niall. "Are you teaching them this?" 

 

Niall held his hands up and shook his head. "All you, my friend." 

 

Louis sighed. Then, he yawned. He was exhausted beyond belief. He'd barely gotten a wink of sleep, between worrying about Atticus in the nursery and whimpering in pain every time he moved even an inch. That, and the nurse kept coming in every few hours. Harry slept like the dead, though. 

 

Niall caught his friends yawn and stood. "Boys, lets go get something to eat. Then, we'll go home and bring the twins back, okay?" 

 

Louis gave the surprisingly willing boys a hug and a kiss, mouthing  _thank you_ to Niall as they hopped off the bed. He waved goodbye to them and shifted Atticus to a more secure and comfortable position on his chest. When the door shut and the room was silent once more, he fell asleep. 

 

-

 

When Louis woke up next, he could hear the hustle and bustle in the halls. He heard the steady hum of the machines around him and wondered what time it was. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, then felt his chest. The weight of their baby was gone, and he almost jackknifed straight up, remembering his stitches just in time. He looked around the room frantically and put his hand over his heart when he saw that Harry had Atticus. 

 

"I thought someone had stolen my baby." He said, voice scratchy. 

 

Harry looked up and grinned. "Nope. I'd kill 'em." He said cheerfully. He cooed down at Atticus. "Should have woken me when Niall and the boys came by." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "Did you hear them?" 

 

Harry shook his head. "No." He pressed Atticus to his chest, his  _bare_ chest, and stood. "Liam sent me a message about an hour ago, asking if it was okay for Niall to bring the twins in this time."

 

"Oh. What did you say?" Louis was eager to see his babies, and that's why he was requesting that Niall brought them in small groups at a time. It was an important time for his body to heal, and he knew that he would be overwhelmed if all of them came. 

 

Harry sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "I said that I'd call him back. I wanted to make sure that you were feeling up to it." 

 

"I am." Louis replied. 

 

Harry sensed the lie. "I heard you getting sick earlier." 

 

"It's just the medicine they gave me." Louis promised. "It's out of my system now."

 

Harry looked at him dubiously. "I know you'll say anything to get to see them." He said. "But I know you're eager and it'll be awhile before you're out of here, so I'll let Niall know that he can head on over. But the  _minute_ you feel sick, you let me know." 

 

Louis gave Harry an award winning smile and puckered his lips. Harry rolled his eyes playfully and leaned down to accommodate his bedridden husband. "Okay. By the way, did you get to talk to the doctor about my release date?" 

 

"I had him push it back two days." Harry informed him. 

 

Louis gaped at him. "Harry, I'm already staying here a week. That's plenty of time to recuperate." 

 

Harry shook his head firmly. "No, it's not. The second I take you home, you're going to want to work and cook and pick up the kids. You need to rest and relax and let your body heal. It's been through so much." 

 

"Harry - " Louis protested.

 

"No." Harry said, voice louder. "Jesus, Louis. Learn when to stop. I know you want to do everything, but you can't. Not right now. The only thing I'm allowing you to do is to heal and hold Atticus. No more." 

 

"Allowing me?" Louis asked weakly. He knew Harry only wanted the best for him. 

 

"Yes. Allowing you. You push yourself too hard. When we get home, you're not going to be doing  _anything_ for a very long time." Harry stood. 

 

"I'll be fine after the week is over, Harry, I promise." Louis defended himself. "I can do it." 

 

"No, you can't. After the c-section you had with the twins, you could barely  _walk_ after two weeks. I showered with you until they were two months old. And that was  _just_ the c-section. You had surgery on top of surgery this time." Harry stressed. "You are going to stay here, and then you are going to let me take you home and take care of you." 

 

Louis couldn't help the tears that formed in his eyes. He could only nod his head and whisper, "Okay". Harry leaned down and kissed his forehead lovingly. He understood where Harry was coming from. He couldn't even imagine being in Harry's shoes whenever he went into labor. 

 

"Now, do you want me to call Niall and have him bring in the boys?" 

 

-

 

"Fat baby." Ollie poked at Atticus' belly for the second time. He glanced up at Louis with his eyes raised, as if he was silently asking if they knew that they had a fat baby. "Fat baby!" 

 

"Ollie, love," Harry said, watching Ollie and Theo like a hawk. Those two were unpredictable. "He's supposed to be fat. It means he's healthy." 

 

Ollie just blinked at him. Beside Ollie, Theo was giggling down at his new baby brother. His new baby brother was silly and cute, much like him. He wanted to take Atticus to school with him. 

 

"Mummy?" He looked up at Louis. "Baby come to school with me." 

 

Louis shook his head. "Not for a few years, love." He replied. 

 

Theo pouted. "Not fair." 

 

"Not fair!" Ollie echoed, always supporting his other half no matter what. They both hovered their faces over Atticus' and stared down at him. Atticus was awake but looked very confused. 

 

"When baby come home?" Ollie asked, not looking up. 

 

"Your mummy and baby brother are going to be home in a few days." Harry answered. "Mummy's got to stay here and sleep for a little bit longer." 

 

The mention of sleep had Louis yearning for a few hours of shut-eye. He was perfectly fine before the twins and Niall got there, but the nurse had come in a few moments after that and given him a dose of a different medication - one that made him sleepy.  _Very_ sleepy. He yawned into his hand, trying to conceal it from Harry. It didn't work. 

 

"You go ahead and sleep." Harry whispered in his ear. "Lean on my shoulder and close your eyes. I'll watch them." 

 

Louis nodded and did exactly as Harry said. The last thing he felt before falling into a deep sleep was Harry's lips against his forehead. 


	24. Chapter 24

Harry kept a steady hand on Louis as he helped his very tired and very sore husband into the car. He crouched down with Louis when Louis had to slide into the backseat, right next to Atticus' seat. He caught every wince that crossed Louis' face and every sharp breath was heard. He wished it was him feeling that pain whenever he caught them. When Louis was settled, he thanked the nurse who had wheeled them out and thanked their driver for putting their things in the back. He slid in beside Louis, who was now in the middle, and buckled his seatbelt. 

 

"How do you feel?" He asked, turning to find Louis' head back and his eyes closed. "Lean on me, baby." 

 

Louis let his head fall the short distance and sighed. "Tired. Like I've been beaten with a baseball bat on my abdomen." 

 

Harry kissed the crown of Louis' head and tangled their fingers together. "We'll get you home and into bed. Those meds the doctor gave you knock you out. I don't want you trying to walk up and down the stairs when they kick in." 

 

Louis mumbled something incoherent and opened his eyes. "Are the babies home?" 

 

"Yes. So is my mom and your mom." Harry answered. He knew what was waiting for them when they got home - his mother. She was antsy, as she hadn't seen Atticus yet at all. She stayed with the kids at home, patiently waiting. 

 

"What are they doing?" Louis asked, wincing and letting out a little whimper of pain when they hit a pothole. Harry held his hand tighter. .

 

"Helping. They moved in for awhile. My mom is downstairs and your mom is upstairs. I'm allowing the twins to sleep in Bean and Lucas's room." 

 

"We really need to get a bigger house." Louis mumbled, closing his eyes. Harry could tell that he was minutes away from sleep, and he urged their driver to go a bit faster. "Not enough space." 

 

"We just redid the house." Harry reminded him. 

 

"We didn't do anything but add value." Louis griped. "What we really need to do is renovate the attic and move up there. Our bedroom can be Archer's room until Atticus is old enough to sleep with him." 

 

Harry mulled it over. Their attic was quite large, and it would benefit everyone. They really needed the extra bedroom, and Louis was right; all they did when redoing the house was add a dining room and make the kitchen bigger, really. They should have focused on the bedroom. "Okay." He finally said. 

 

"Okay?" Louis asked in shock. "Really?" He lifted his head and looked up at Harry, sleepy blue eyes wide. 

 

Harry nodded. "Okay. You deserve it. I'll get ahold of some contractors and let you do the rest." 

 

Louis hesitated. "But - the baby?" He looked over at Atticus, who was sleeping. His little mouth was open and he had a bit of drool, but he was still the most perfect specimen they'd ever seen. 

 

"I really wish I'd thought of this sooner. That way, I'd have you coming home to a new bedroom instead of our cramped one." Harry cursed himself. "Now we'll have to wait. The noise will bother you and the baby." 

 

"Then why don't we move downstairs to the guestroom?" Louis suggested. "We can put your mom in our room, and I won't have to walk up any stairs. It'll be kind of rude, but - " 

 

"No," Harry shook his head. "That's not a bad idea. The walls up there are soundproof. They would hardly hear a noise." 

 

"Oh, if that's the case, then never mind. I forgot the walls were soundproof. We can just stay in our room." Louis leaned his head back on Harry's shoulder. 

 

"Oh, no. We're going downstairs. I don't want you and the baby breathing in all of that dust." Harry shook his head. 

 

Louis raised a brow. "But it's okay for our other babies to inhale it?" He asked with a small smile. "And your mother?" 

 

"The kids are hardly ever in their room, and when they do go upstairs, they're always in Bean and Lucas's room. Their room is at the opposite end of the attic." Harry said. "And the attic has a door, so not a whole lot will be getting out. I just don't want you two up there because that's where you'll be the majority of the time." 

 

"If you're sure your mum won't mind." Louis agreed. "I would really prefer to stay downstairs anyway. I wouldn't feel so trapped." 

 

"I'll talk to my mum when we get home, okay?" Harry looked out the windows. There was a bit of traffic coming out of London, and it would be awhile before they got home. 

 

-

 

Harry held Louis as tightly as he could as they walked very slowly up the front steps to their house. Louis had one hand on the railing, gripping tightly, and the other grasping Harry's arm. They were two steps up and he was already out of breath. If he hadn't just gone through a difficult labor and delivery, he'd be embarrassed. 

 

"Need to stop?" Harry asked quietly into his ear. 

 

He shook his head. "No. Just want to go lay down." 

 

"I can make that happen." Harry held onto him tighter and together they managed to climb the remaining eight steps. When they reached the flat surface of their front porch, Harry grew worried as Louis bent over and held his stomach. His face was one of pain. He feared that he had caused it. 

 

"I just need a minute." Louis managed to say between shaky breaths. "Too much at once." 

 

"Take your time, baby. Do you want to go sit on the porch swing?" Harry offered. The swinging piece of furniture was maybe twenty feet away, maybe too far for Louis to walk. 

 

"No thanks." Louis declined. "Who has the baby?" 

 

"Dan came out to get him, remember?" Harry rubbed his hand up and down Louis' back soothingly. "My mum probably has him by now." 

 

Louis said nothing and righted himself. He was still hunched over a bit, maybe trying to keep the pressure and tugging off of his incision. Harry didn't know how to be careful with him. He was afraid that anything he did could hurt Louis. 

 

"Can we go in now?" Louis asked, reaching for Harry's arms. "I feel sick." 

 

Harry got a good grip on his husband and they walked the rest of the way. He opened the door with one hand and made it his mission to get Louis into bed. His poor boy looked so exhausted, from the medication but mainly from the surgery. 

 

The house they stepped into was quiet and clean. Sparkling clean, actually, and there was a delicious smell wafting from the kitchen. They didn't stop to linger, as Harry led them slowly down the hall and into the den. From their point of view, they could see the kids out back playing in the yard. On the couch, Harry's mum sat with Atticus. She was crying of course. 

 

"Oh, Louis." She looked up at them tearfully. "He's beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. You did such a good job." 

 

"I'd like to take some credit." Harry replied. 

 

Anne rolled her eyes. "I'm giving Louis all the credit on this one. You've got six other mini-me's." 

 

"Thank you Anne." Louis said graciously. "But if you'll excuse me, I'm really very tired." 

 

"Oh, goodness love. Don't apologize. Go lay down." She waved him off. "Sleep as long as you feel." 

 

"Mum," Harry remembered that he had to talk to his mother about the sleeping arrangements. "Would it be alright if we bumped you upstairs? I don't want Louis walking up and down the stairs when he wants to interact with people." 

 

Anne blinked. "Of course! Don't ask!" She stood slowly, cradling Atticus in her arms. Louis didn't think she would ever put him down. "Go right on ahead. I haven't even unpacked." 

 

Louis smiled at her graciously. "Thank you." He gathered in another look at his baby before allowing Harry to walk him to the guest bedroom. When they were in the bedroom and he caught sight of the bed, the thought of laying down and never getting back up again sounded like heaven. 

 

"Do you need anything?" Harry asked, dropping their hospital bag by the bed. "Food, water, shower? Do you have to use the bathroom?" 

 

Louis shook his head. He was still too nauseated to eat and too tired to stand. He'd used the bathroom at the hospital. "I just want to lay down." He asked, voice tinged with a whimper. It struck something in Harry, because seconds later, the bed was being turned down and Harry was standing behind him, helping him to climb up onto the ridiculously high bed. 

 

"Do you want me to lay with you?" Harry asked, sitting down behind Louis, who was already half-asleep. He let his knuckles brush over Louis' thigh and down the thick muscle. The noise of appreciation Louis made kept him going. 

 

"Yes, please." 

 

Harry, who had spent the past week and a half sleeping  _near_ Louis, not  _next_ to him, kicked off his shoes and slid right in behind his exhausted and drained better half. He was careful when tugging Louis' body towards his, desperately in need of having the sweet body pressed next to his. He'd gone nights without it, and he was only human. He craved Louis' comfort as well as Louis craved his. 

 

He kissed the back of Louis' neck and let his face rest there. The wispy soft hairs on the back of Louis' head tickled his face, but he didn't care. He was holding Louis, at home, in a bed, and all was well. 


	25. Chapter 25

Harry was amazed at Louis. No matter what had happened during the long and tiring birth process, Louis would always managed to hear the baby right before they began crying, or, if he's had a c-section, he would try to get up and tend to the crying infant. No matter what Harry said or did stopped him. If his babies were crying, he was right there to soothe them. Fortunately for Harry, Louis was following the doctors rules and allowed Harry to always bring the baby to and from. He would always watch Harry with a grumpy face. 

 

He didn't have a grumpy face that night, Harry noted, as he laid next to Louis and Atticus on the bed. It was so early that the sky was dark purple. They could hear the wind rustling leaves the the branches outside, but they were warm, tucked in their cozy bed. Atticus was curled up in the crook of Louis' arm, sleeping soundly. He'd just had a bottle and was down for the count. 

 

Louis traced a finger down his soft cheek and sighed. "I wish he was drinking my milk." He whispered, eyeing the bottle. A few of his babies had to be bottle fed because he simply couldn't nurse them. Atticus, his last, was unfortunately one of them. 

 

"I know." Harry murmured. He understood how important it was to Louis. But they understood that it wasn't the end of the world. Their baby was getting fed and that's all that mattered. "Don't think he minds, to be honest. As long as his little tummy gets full." 

 

Louis glanced down at Atticus' cute little belly. He fit perfectly into the little pajama set his mum had bought for the hospital trip home. He snuggled right up in it, cozy and warm. "Yeah." He laughed quietly. "I love him." 

 

Harry noticed the tears welling in Louis' eyes and he was quick to lay a comforting hand on Louis' thigh. The doctor had spoken to him and warned him about it - about how Louis might not show emotion for awhile, then show it all at once. Having the last child while not knowing they were the last was a very emotional process, and Louis hadn't fully comprehended it. 

 

"Baby." Harry slid closer to Louis. "Are you okay?" 

 

Louis shook his head as a few tears fell in quick succession. "I don't think so." He answered with a sniffle. "I just can't believe he's my last baby." 

 

"I know." Harry could, though. He could wrap his mind around the fact that it was their last baby ever, unless they decided to adopt, but sometimes, to mothers, it wasn't the same. He had no idea what Louis went through to bring their babies into the world. Sure, he knew what Louis expressed and he knew what he saw, but how Louis was faring on the inside, up in his head, he had no idea. "The doctor mentioned therapy or counseling? Do you think that would help you through this?" 

 

Louis was quick to shake his head. Ever since their experience with Dr. Swift, he was very hesitant to visit another person licensed to separate him and Harry. He wouldn't do it. "No." He answered, rubbing at his nose. "No. I'm fine. I just - I just can't believe it. I'll never get to carry another baby in me. We'll never have another baby to spoil." He blinked the tears away and looked up at Harry. "I'm sorry." 

 

"For what?" Harry said sharply, almost angrily. "Don't be sorry for anything. It was out of your control. You couldn't help what they did, and it was for the best. You're healthy and safe and Atticus is healthy and safe. Everyone is fine and you'll be okay. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you'll be okay." 

 

"I just," Louis swallowed thickly. His eyes were burning. "I never wanted to have this many babies, but now that I have them, I wouldn't trade them for the world." He blinked down at Atticus. His voice was broken when he spoke. "And I didn't want anymore after Archer, but now that I can't have anymore - " 

 

A sob escaped his throat and Harry wrapped him up in his arms. He rocked Louis back and forth, allowing him to cry and ruin his sleep shirt. He rocked Louis and held him and rubbed his back until all that was heard were quiet hiccups. He held him some more after that. 

 

"Don't hold it in." He encouraged. "If you need to say something, cry, scream, kick, let me know. I want to be here for you. I  _am_ here for you. I'm here  _with_ you." 

 

"This doesn't just affect me." Louis whispered gravelly. "It affects you too. Aren't you sad?" 

 

Harry locked his arms tighter around Louis and braced himself for the reaction to what he was about to say. "It affected us in different ways, baby. I'm sad that you're sad, but I can't be sad that the doctors had to do this in order to save your life. I  _can't_ be sad when I'm holding you right now." 

 

Louis stiffened, but he didn't pull away. Yet. "You're not sad that we can't have any more babies?" 

 

"No." Harry answered firmly. "Because your little body couldn't handle anymore babies. Fuck, baby, your body could barely handle Bean. And Lucas was okay, but the twins and Olivia and Archer, fuck, they did a number on you. And this pregnancy, God, it was hell from day one. I'm not going to be sad that your body is safe to recover now. I'm not going to be sad that you won't get sick and unhealthy with another baby. I'm happy with the ones we have." 

 

"But..." Louis inhaled shakily. "You'll never put another baby inside of me. We won't ever panic at a pregnancy test or feel that little glimmer of hope when the pink lines turn dark red. This is it. This is our last one. My last baby." 

 

"You've got seven more babies in this house." Harry reminded him gently. "And they love you and love it when you cuddle them and spoil them. This isn't the end for you, baby. It's not. I promise. You're going to get to watch each one grow up now without having to be put on bed rest or stop because you can't walk very far. If this was our first or second baby, then yeah, of course I'd be devastated. But he's our little surprise. Archer was our last, if I remember correctly." 

 

An abrupt giggle came from Louis. He'd forgotten that Archer was their 'last' baby. Atticus was their little surprise, as Harry put it. He pulled away from Harry and blinked at him through sticky, wet lashes. "Thank you." He wiped his nose again. 

 

"I'm here for whatever you need." Harry reminded him. "Do you want to shower? It's early and I noticed you shivering earlier. Maybe some hot water will put you back to sleep." Harry's main concern at the moment was Louis' inability to sleep for long periods of time. He wanted Louis to get hours of sleep at a time, which just wasn't happening. 

 

Louis glanced down at Atticus and then over to the guest bath. He wanted to shower, but he didn't want to let go of their tiny sleeping baby. Could he put down their baby for the ten minutes it would take to get clean? Could he actually enjoy the shower without worrying about Atticus? 

 

"Baby." Harry sensed Louis' hesitation. "He'll be fine. He'll be perfect. He's sleeping right now. His tummy is full and he's fast asleep." 

 

"What if he wakes up and needs me?" Louis asked. It was always a possibility. The tiny human in his arms depended on him and he didn't want to let Atticus down. He wanted his baby to be able to count on him. 

 

"Then I'll make sure we shower faster." Harry responded easily. 

 

"We?" Louis asked nervously. He was always so afraid of showering with Harry after he'd had a baby. He never felt good or proud of his body after enduring such a process, and especially after a c-section. He knew it was inevitable, because Harry would  _have_ to be in the shower with him to steady him, but it still scared him. He always thought that Harry was secretly judging him. 

 

"Yes, we." Harry said firmly. "And I know what you're thinking." He slid off of the bed and walked around to Louis' side. He knelt down and gathered Atticus in his arms. The baby hardly stirred. "And I want you to stop thinking it. It upsets me when you think of yourself like that." 

 

"How do you know what I was thinking?" Louis squeaked. He couldn't hide anything from Harry. Harry read him like a book. 

 

"Because," Harry laid Atticus down and stroked his cheek softly. He could stare at his son all day. With some minor hesitation, he turned around and faced Louis, who was tired and beautiful. "You always get like this after you have a baby. When are you going to realize that I think you're beautiful no matter what?" 

 

Louis shrugged, but when Harry walked over, he allowed himself to be helped down from the bed. Harry held him with such gentleness. He was grateful. "It's hard." He said, only in minor pain when his two feet were on the floor. 

 

"I know." Harry sighed, brushing the hair away from Louis' face. He stared down at his smaller spouse, noticing the weary eyes and slight frown. They'd been married for years but Louis hadn't aged a bit. His face was still smooth and tan, and flawless. No wrinkles, except those lovely ones by his eyes. His laugh lines. He was stills so beautiful to Harry. "But when you're like this, I can't help but fall more in love with you." 

 

"Like what? A mess?" Louis joked, but it fell flat between them. 

 

"No." Harry whispered, trailing his knuckles down the side of Louis' face. "Like this. Tired, dressed in my pajamas. Right after you've just had my baby. I can't help but fall madly in love with you all over again when you've just had my baby. When you look like this, I get a bit weak in the knees." 

 

"Don't tell me you'd take this over me any other day? One where I've had time to shower and get dressed?" Louis asked, feeling his heart flutter at Harry's words. 

 

Harry shook his head slowly, not breaking eye contact. "Those days don't matter to me. What matters is that you let me see you like this. You're hesitant and scared, but I  _love_ it. There's nothing more beautiful than you when you've just had my baby." 

 

"You keep saying that." Louis murmured. 

 

"And I'll keep saying it until you believe me." Harry promised. He lifted Louis' hands up to his mouth and kissed each knuckle. "Let's get you showered. I don't want you to start hurting, standing here." 

 

They slowly hobbled to the bathroom, and Harry sat Louis down on the closed toilet and knelt in front of him. They made slow work of removing their clothes, one by one, until each were naked. Harry turned on the shower spray and helped Louis in. He was so thankful for the chair they'd installed years ago. He sat Louis down carefully and began washing his hair. He didn't miss the appreciative sound that came out of Louis' mouth as his hair was being cleaned. 

 

When Louis' hair was rinsed and cleaned, Harry began washing his body. He knelt and bent down when needed, making sure that every square inch of Louis was clean. He wanted Louis to be as comfortable as possible while laying in bed. He gave Louis' little kisses when he felt Louis getting distressed. When Louis was all clean, he made quick work of washing his own body, ignoring the hair he'd tossed up in a bun. He'd have time for that later. He just wanted to get Louis back into bed and asleep. 

 

When they stepped out of the shower, Harry was quick to wrap Louis up in a towel. Louis was freezing cold. They left the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom. Louis was quick to search out Atticus, who was still fast asleep. 

 

"Why are you worried?" Harry asked, grabbing some warm pajamas for Louis. "He's a good baby." 

 

"He's only a week and a half old." Louis' voice had the  _duh_ tone to it. "All of our babies were good when they were this young." 

 

"Still." Harry shrugged, moving over to him. He helped Louis slip into some cotton panties and began sliding yoga pants up his legs. "You need to sleep when he's sleeping. I mean it. I won't allow you to run yourself down." 

 

"I can't help it." Louis shrugged. He winced when Harry slid a shirt over his head. He forgot that raising his arms hurt his stomach. "Can you move his bassinet over to my side of the bed?" 

 

"Of course." Harry nodded. Anything that would help Louis sleep. He helped Louis up into the bed and kissed his damp hair. 

 

"I want to hold his hand before I sleep." Louis said, watching as Harry picked up Atticus' bed and moved it gently. He didn't want to wake the baby before Louis got a chance to sleep. 

 

"I think he'd like that." Harry grinned down at Atticus. He loved his newest baby with his entire being. It didn't seem possible for his heart to grow any bigger, to fill with even more love, but it had. "God, he's precious." 

 

"Thanks." Louis sniffed, curling up as best as he could while laying on his back. He was a side sleeper, so it was definitely one of the most annoying parts of having a c-section. He reached over and let one of Atticus' little hands wrap around his finger. 

 

Harry moved around the bassinet and brushed the hair away from Louis' face. "I fall more and more in love with you with each second that passes." He said. "Tell me how that's possible." He bent down and brushed a kiss on Louis' forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." 

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

By the time Atticus reached one month of age, Louis was finally able to walk a bit on his own. He was sometimes still in pain and Harry would always always  _always_ walk a few steps behind, arms out, just in case Louis needed to take a break. When he wasn't trailing Louis, who was quite the little speedster, he was working again in his office. He only did what was absolutely required, and then quit. He didn't let it consume him like it used to. 

 

However, some things were unavoidable. Like an upcoming trip to LA. He'd known about it for maybe a week, and hadn't even mentioned it to Louis yet. He planned on telling Louis later, maybe after dinner. But until then, he kept busy. 

 

Anne and Jay were still in the house with them, though Jay left every night and came back every morning. Anne was staying in the house with them still. She was hesitant to leave until Louis was perfectly fine again. She loved him just as she loved Harry. They made breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They cleaned with the kids and helped them with homework. They were truly a Godsend. 

 

-

 

"You ate pretty good, love." Harry mentioned later that evening. The kids were all in bed, washed up, homework done, and fast asleep. Their mums were downstairs in the den, chatting. They could hear their laughter every now and then. Harry and Louis were laying in bed, Atticus on Harry's bare chest, blinking his little wild eyes, trying to get a clear picture on everything. 

 

"Your mum certainly knows how to cook." Louis shrugged. "Hard not to eat a lot when she's around." 

 

"Yeah, but, do you feel okay? I know it was so difficult for you to eat the first couple of weeks." Harry glanced down at Louis' shrinking stomach. You could definitely tell that he'd had a baby, but everyday it got smaller and smaller. "Do you feel alright inside?" 

 

"Yeah." Louis answered, making heart eyes at Atticus. "Empty, but okay. I actually feel better now that I've eaten a lot." 

 

"Good." Harry nodded. "Good. Let me know if you feel sick though, okay? You could hurt yourself if you try to get out of bed in a rush." 

 

"You're holding Atticus." Louis reminded Harry. "How could you help me in a mad dash while holding our tiny child?"

 

Harry glanced down at Atticus. "Tuck him right under, like a football." He grinned. 

 

"Shut up." Louis rolled his eyes and giggled. "Don't talk about my baby like he's a football." 

 

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the phone he was holding in his hand rang. He glanced down at it before silencing it. 

 

"Who was it?" Louis asked curiously. Harry always answered his phone. 

 

"Just Liam." Harry answered casually. 

 

Louis wrinkled his brow. "Why didn't you answer? You always answer when it's Liam." 

 

Harry sighed. "He'll just be bugging me about going to LA." Harry said. 

 

"LA?" Louis raised his brows. "Since when are you going to LA?" 

 

"I'm not, that's why I didn't answer." Harry explained. 

 

"Why aren't you going to LA, then?" Louis asked. 

 

"Are you kidding?" Harry exclaimed. "I'm in no position to leave you right now. I'm not even considering going, that's why he's been calling me all the time." 

 

"Wait, Harry, you're not going? It's your job, can you do that? Just decide not to go?" Louis questioned. 

 

"Well, yeah. As long as Styles is still in the name, I can pretty much do whatever I want. If I don't want to leave you to go across the world for a week, then I don't have to." 

 

"When would you leave?" 

 

"In a month. First week of December." Harry answered. "Why?" 

 

"Well..." Louis picked at a loose thread in his shirt. "What if we went with you? Not everyone, obviously, but me and Atticus." He glanced up at Harry, who was staring at him. 

 

"Baby..." Harry began, sighing. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with you and Atticus being on a fifteen hour flight with me. Fuck, I'm not even sure that  _you're_ comfortable with being on a fifteen hour flight. Those are tough, baby. And you're still so sore and Atty is still so young." 

 

"He'll be two months old when you leave. And I'm fine, Harry, honestly." Louis promised. 

 

"Louis, you cant' roll over in bed yet without my help." Harry deadpanned. "I don't want you to be in any kind of position that will hurt you." 

 

"Please just think about it." Louis grabbed Harry's free hand and held it. "I've never been to America. We were going to go, but - " Louis stopped himself from finishing the sentence. He bit his lip and looked down. 

 

Harry's heart tugged and he squeezed Louis' hand. The last time he was going to America, he was going to take Louis with him. The day before, they'd gotten into a huge life-changing fight and he'd left Louis alone. He still hated himself for it. He remembered vividly the phone call he got from their security company, informing him of a security breach and that a 999 call was placed. 

 

He raised Louis' hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "I'll think about it, love." He promised. 

 

-

 

Harry thought about taking Louis and Atticus to LA with him for the longest time. After he'd helped Atticus get to sleep and made sure Louis was comfortable, he really let his mind wander. He had promised Louis all those years ago to take him to America and then he broke that promise, and almost broke his entire relationship. If it were any other time, then yes, he would love to take Louis, but right after major surgery? It might not have been a wise idea. 

 

He turned his head and glanced over at Louis, who was sleeping soundly. Their room was dark and quiet, with only the moonlight filtering in. He could hear Atticus' little breaths and snuffles every now and then. He didn't want to leave them behind if he went to LA. He didn't want to be more than two feet away from them at all. He sighed and closed his eyes. He would have to sleep on it. 

 

-

 

The next morning, Harry got up before Louis and called the doctor. Hearing it from the person who performed Louis' surgery made him feel better, and when he got the okay for Louis to fly, he was all set. He got to work, making phone calls and arrangements. He was able to sneak out of the house and have the driver they'd hired take him on his errand. 

 

By the time he was finished writing the check and headed home, it was nearing nine in the morning. He was safe, because he knew they only people that would be awake would be Jay, his mum, and Archer. The rest would be sleeping in on their weekend. He tipped the driver and hopped out of the car. He walked through the green grass and up their porch steps. He grabbed the newspaper and headed inside. 

 

He could smell breakfast cooking and he heard Archer giggling, so he navigated his way to the kitchen. Louis' mum was standing at the stove, while his own mum set the table. Archer was following her around, holding a stack of napkins. He dropped them and squealed when he saw Harry. 

 

"Daddy!" Archer ran straight towards him, his chubby little legs moving as quickly as they could. 

 

Harry caught him and peppered kisses all over his face. "Hello, love." He greeted, nosing along Archer's soft cheek. "What are you doing up?" 

 

"Tummy is hungry!" He informed Harry, rubbing his belly through his green and blue striped pajamas. 

 

"And are your grandmas going to fix that?" He asked, peeking around at Louis' mum. She smiled and waved at him. 

 

"Is Louis still asleep, dear?" She asked, flipping a sausage. 

 

"Sure is." Harry nodded. "He's exhausted these days. It actually irritates him because he says there's nothing for him to do to become so tired." 

 

"Having surgery is tiresome enough." Anne mentioned. Jay nodded in agreement. "And his poor little body has been through quite a lot in the past month." 

 

"It really has." Jay shook her head. "Let him sleep. He'll never get rest like this again in his life. Not with eight babies." 

 

"That's what I keep telling him." Harry said. "He tried to get up yesterday to fold some laundry. I just about lost it." 

 

"He's always been like that, dear." Jay informed him. "Of course, you know that." 

 

"What were you doing out so early?" Anne asked suddenly. "I woke up and decided to check on the baby and you were gone."

 

"I just had to run an errand. A last minute sort of thing." Harry answered. "I'll explain everything to you all after I talk to Louis. Are any of my other children awake?" 

 

Jay shook her head. "Nope. Everyone is still out." 

 

Harry sighed in relief. He'd get a good amount of time to speak to Louis then. He kissed Archie's cheek and sat him down with the promise of playing together later. "Let me know when breakfast is ready." He requested before leaving the kitchen. He went to their bedroom and closed the door behind him. Louis was fast asleep but Atticus was wide awake, staring at the ceiling and chewing on his hand. 

 

"I feel like every single one of you do that." He said, lifting Atticus up. "Chewed on your hand, I mean. But you've got no teeth, so really you're just slobbering on it. What's the appeal to that?" 

 

Atticus just stared at him with wide eyes. 

 

"Christ, you're cute. Don't tell your mummy, but I'm glad that we were negligent with the necessary precautions to prevent pregnancy, because if we were responsible adults," He made a face. "Then we wouldn't have you. And you're so cute." 

 

"If we were responsible," Louis' voice came from the bed. "Then we wouldn't have  _any_ children." 

 

"Hey baby." Harry greeted, smiling. He climbed up into bed with Atticus in his arms. "How long have you been awake?" 

 

"Heard you come in." Louis answered, eyes still closed. "And you essentially just told our baby that he was a result of improper birth control use." 

 

"Well, better tell him now. That way I can be as blunt as possible and he won't understand." Harry shrugged. 

 

"Where did you go this morning?" Louis asked a beat later. "Wanted to hold your hand but you were gone. I hate waking up without you." 

 

The guilt Harry felt was minor compared to the excitement he had to tell Louis his news. "I had an errand to run." He replied. "And I've decided to take you and Atty with me to LA." 

 

That caused Louis' eyes to open. "Really?" He blinked, clearing the sleep from them. "What changed your mind?" 

 

Harry dug around in his pocket for his phone and began swiping through it. "Well, I called your doctor today, the one that performed your surgery, and he said it was alright. Your insides should be settled and healed up pretty much. And," He clicked on a photo and held it out to Louis. "I bought this. So we don't have to worry about airports or anything." 

 

Louis' eyes widened and he took the phone from Harry's hand. "Harry, what the hell?" He asked, swiping through the pictures. 

 

"Obviously, it's much more luxurious in person, but it won't be ready to fly until a week before we leave." He shrugged. "Do you like it?" 

 

"You bought a jet?" Louis asked, blinking up at Harry. "Why on earth?" 

 

"Because I figured, no, I  _know_ it'll be more comfortable than flying commercial. And it's got a bedroom and there's plenty of room for you to walk around, if you get the urge." 

 

"How much did this cost?" Louis asked. 

 

"It doesn't matter." Harry answered. 

 

"Harry - " Louis sighed. 

 

"No, listen. It doesn't matter because I can't put a price on your comfort and your safety. It doesn't matter how much it cost. I feel better if we travel this way." 

 

Louis exhaled slowly. "Okay." He finally said. "Okay. That's all I need to know. Thank you for doing this. I can't even believe it." 

 

"Your own private jet." Harry wiggled his eyebrows at Louis. "How swanky." 

 

"It's not mine." Louis shook his head. "Have you named it yet?" 

 

"I'm thinking  _Louis_." Harry answered with a grin. 

 

"Oh no. You are not naming a plane after me. That's an insult! Especially when I look to be about the size of one." Louis gestured to his body. He had been able to do nothing to get rid of the excess weight. When he would have a baby naturally, he'd wait maybe a week before exercising. That was impossible after he'd had a c-section. 

 

"You look fine." Harry assured him. "Beautiful. Gorgeous. Ethereal. How can I think otherwise when you've just given me another baby?" 

 

"I can't even nurse him to shed any weight." Louis grumbled. "I'm literally stuck in bed." 

 

"I've been offering to take you to the park so we can walk around." Harry reminded him. "You think you look so bad though that everyone will judge you. You look fine, baby. People will understand that you've just had major surgery. And it's no one's business." 

 

"Yeah, well." Louis shrugged. "Maybe. If it cools off later today, maybe we can take the kids to the park and let them play. You and I can walk circles." 

 

Harry grinned enthusiastically. "Sounds good to me. I'll go check the weather right now." He slid off the bed, still clutching Atticus. He peeked through the blackout curtains on their window. 

 

"Open those, please." Louis requested. "I want to see the leaves. My mum said they were changing colors and falling. I just love that." 

 

Harry opened the curtains wider. "You're in luck, baby. I knew this massive tree right in front of our window would come in handy. It's like a slow motion television for you." 

 

Louis tossed a pillow at him and giggled. "Shut up. It's not massive. It's perfect." 

 

"Looks to be nice." Harry shrugged, turning around. Atticus made a cry in protest and Harry looked down at him, sheepishly. "Oh yeah. I picked him up to feed him. Where is my mind?" 

 

"I think we lost it around the birth of the twins." Louis grumbled, re-situating himself on the bed. "I lost mine when I was pregnant with Bean." 

 

Harry fiddled around on the dresser with a bottle, trying to prepare it while holding Atticus in his arms. "Yeah, well." He cursed when he dropped the spoon he was using. "I used to be so good at this." He glanced back at Louis. "Why can't you use your nipples again?" 

 

"Bring him here." Louis ordered. "And because my milk didn't form right or something. I forgot what the doctor said." He waved his arms at Harry. "Bring me my child." 

 

"Bossy." Harry grunted, making his way over to the bed. He sat Atticus down in Louis' arms and pressed a kiss to Louis' forehead, just because. "I love you just the same." He walked back over to the dresser and assembled the bottle. "I'll be right back. Gotta go get some warm water." 

 

"We'll be right here, Daddy." Louis used Atticus' arm to wave. "Hurry up! We miss you already." 

 

As Harry walked out of the door, as quickly as possible, he listened to Louis' giggles and Atticus' coos. They were sounds that he could hear for the rest of his life and never get sick of. 

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

Harry bit his finger and danced around at the bottom of the stairs. It was all he could do to keep himself from running up them. His heart rate was through the roof and he felt nauseous. His stress level was to the max. All because Louis wanted to walk down the stairs by himself. He insisted Harry stand at the bottom and watch, which was not good at all for Harry. 

 

"You have no idea what you're doing to my blood pressure." Harry voiced, almost shaking. He  _needed_ to get up there and help Louis. 

 

"Relax." Louis rolled his eyes and gripped the railing tightly. "You're being dramatic." He winced when taking another step down and Harry nearly had a heart attack at the little gasp he gave. 

 

"Fucking Christ, Louis." Harry growled. "This is stupid. I'm coming up there." He started to move, placing his hand on the banister. He managed to get one foot on the first stair case before Louis was squealing in protest. 

 

"No!" Louis shrieked, waving his free hand. "Harry, I'm fine. I have to walk up and down the stairs eventually."

 

"No you don't." Harry shook his head firmly. "I'm serious, Louis. I'm coming up there. You're still so sore." 

 

"I got up here by myself, didn't I?" Louis challenged, staring down at Harry. 

 

Harry huffed from his nose and set his lips in a tight grimace. He stepped back and crossed his arms. "Why did I have to get matched to someone with such independence?" 

 

Louis smiled sweetly. "You just got lucky, I guess." His voice was light as air and sweet as honey. The smile on his face was so bright. Harry was in love. "Now, please let me walk down the stairs by myself." 

 

"Sure." Harry said. "While you're doing that, you can tell me why you decided to walk up them in the first place." He raised an expectant eyebrow. "Without help, I might add." 

 

"You are such a worrier." Louis grumbled, keeping his free hand on his belly as he took two more steps. He sounded worn out from the exertion. "I wanted to get something. And it was upstairs." 

 

"What did you need that you couldn't have anyone else get it for you?" Harry inquired, watching Louis carefully as his tiny spouse took the last few remaining steps. 

 

Louis threw his arms out to his side. "Ta da! This is what I had to get." He gestured to the old, worn shirt he was wearing. It was Harry's, and he's had it since he and Louis got matched. It was a staple in Louis' nighttime wear. 

 

Harry shook his head fondly and wrapped Louis up in his arms. He kissed the top of Louis' head. "You did good." He praised. "Though I nearly had an aneurysm watching you walk down those stairs. I can't believe I've survived this long with you around." 

 

Louis giggled against Harry's chest. "I think I was your match so that I could keep you on your toes." He pressed his fingers into Harry's lower back, feeling the heat through Harry's shirt. 

 

"I think so." Harry agreed. "I think I might have just aged ten years watching your little stunt on the stairs." 

 

Louis tipped his head back and grinned up at Harry. "I love you." He said cheekily. 

 

Harry bent his head down and pressed their lips together. It was such a happy, picturesque moment. "I love you too, my little monster." 

 

Louis pulled back. "Speaking of," He said, glancing around. "Where are our little monsters?" 

 

"They've been outside for ages." Harry informed him. "Dan and Robin got some pumpkins and they're all out carving them." 

 

"Even Atticus?" Louis asked. "It's too cold for him outside. He needs to come right back in." Louis stepped away from Harry and turned to walk down the hallway. Of course, this time, he had Harry's arms wrapped around him securely. 

 

"Baby," Harry said in his ear. "If you'd just take a look in the den, I think you'd feel much better." 

 

They rounded the corner to the surprisingly clean den and laying on the couch, secured by his little round pillow, Atticus was laying there fast asleep. Louis clapped his hands and walked as quickly as Harry would allow him. He peered down at the serene baby. 

 

"And  _why_ is my baby alone in here?" Louis asked, turning around to glare up at Harry. His little button nose was scrunched. 

 

"He was alone for literally a minute and a half. Just long enough for me to have a heart attack watching you come down the stairs." Harry replied, voice haughty. "He's right where I left him." 

 

"You know," Louis bent down to scoop Atticus up. "Bean was  _never_ okay with you leaving him random places. He would throw a fit. I'm surprised Atticus is okay with it." 

 

"Well," Harry dragged his fingertip down Atticus' small button nose and smiled when the baby's face twitched. "Bean was spoiled." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. All of our babies are spoiled. You have no willpower when it comes to them." He cradled Atticus closer and took a few steps. He was still sore, but determined not to lay in bed any longer than he had to. 

 

Harry followed Louis closely, hands splayed out behind him. "That is absolutely true." Harry admitted. "But if we have the means to spoil them, we're going to. And they're humble. We have good babies." 

 

"You're welcome." Louis winced when he twisted his torso a bit. "What do you want for dinner?" 

 

"You are absolutely not cooking." Harry shook his head firmly. "We'll order out." 

 

"I miss our mums living here." Louis lamented. He lowered himself slowly down onto a stool and huffed. "I wish I could cook for you all again." 

 

Harry smiled sympathetically and bent down so that he was face to face with Louis. "But you're well rested, yeah? That's all that matters. I don't need you to stress yourself out again." 

 

Louis shrugged. Then, he blinked up at Harry. Harry expected him to say something sweet or romantic. Instead, he said, "Let's order out. I'm  _starving_." 

 

-

 

Harry watched as Louis shoved his little feet into a pair of toms and addressed himself in the mirror. The few weeks after his c-section had been rough, but now, a little over a month after, Louis was doing and looking great. He was feeling better and surprisingly, he'd lost the majority of his baby weight. He still had a tiny bit of a stomach and his thighs and bum were bigger, an advantage, Harry thought. But he looked great. 

 

"Are you sure you want to come with me?" Harry asked him again for the third time in five minutes. 

 

Louis glanced at him through the mirror. "Yes, Harry." He answered exasperatedly. "Why wouldn't I?"

 

Harry shrugged and pushed himself away from the door frame. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I still worry about your recovery." 

 

Louis turned and smiled up at Harry. He smoothed his hands over Harry's sheer shirt. "I'm fine. I wouldn't miss your TV debut for the world, love." 

 

Harry still couldn't believe that he was going to be a guest on the most popular talk show in London. He was surprised when he'd gotten the call. Liam, unfortunately, had the flu, and couldn't make it. Harry was sad about that, and almost refused to go without Liam. With a little convincing from him and Louis, though, finally agreed. 

 

"Well," He said humbly. "I still can't believe it." 

 

"I know. I'm very proud of you." Louis grinned up at him. Harry didn't think he'd ever find someone who was as proud of him as Louis was. He was grateful for his little spouse. "Now, my mum is coming over to watch the babies, and Atticus is coming with us." 

 

Harry cocked a brow. "When did this come into play?" He questioned. 

 

Louis glanced around the room, eyes landing on the bed, where Atticus lay, kicking his legs back and forth. They could hear him gurgling. "I might miss him." He answered, blinking up at Harry. 

 

Harry caught Louis' hands in his and brought them up to his lips. He kissed them. "Of course, love. We'll bring our littlest love. He can be proud of me as well." 

 

Louis preened. "He is. He's so proud of his daddy." Louis lifted his hand up and fussed with the ends of Harry's hair. "What time do you have to be there?" 

 

Harry glanced down at his watch. "I think we ought to leave here when your mum gets here. Traffic might be a bitch, and I think I'll have to go through hair and makeup." He answered. 

 

"Great." Louis stepped back. "I'll go say my goodbyes to the babies and you get Atticus." He turned on his heel, thankful that it didn't hurt to walk as often as it did before. Sure, he still got a few deep aches every now and then, but the doctor said he was healing fantastically. 

 

He took his time, walking through the house, searching for his children. He found them outside, where they always seemed to be, and stepped out onto the back deck. He watched them run around and play for a few moments. The air was crisp and the sound of leaves crunching filled the air around them. He was amazed at how well they got along. He was sure that if he had any siblings who were close in age, like his babies were, he'd go nuts. 

 

After a few more peaceful moments, he called them over. "Your grandma is coming over to watch you until mummy and daddy get back, okay?" He explained to them. "Is that alright?" 

 

"Ollie don't care!" Ollie screamed, tugging at his curls. Theo mimicked his brother and began pulling at his own hair. 

 

"Baby," Louis chastised. "That's rude to say." 

 

Ollie widened his eyes and pouted. Louis melted. Damn Harry and his genes. "So sorry." Ollie lamented. " _So_ sorry." 

 

Louis patted Ollie's head and cooed down at him. "It's alright, love. Anyway, I don't know how long your daddy and I will be, so be good for grandma, okay? You all can order out for your dinner, but you all have to agree. If you don't agree, then I'll tell your grandmother to fix something here. Got it?" 

 

All of them nodded their heads. Louis smiled. He had good children. 

 

"Will you bring us home presents?" Bella asked hopefully. 

 

Olivia grabbed her hand and nodded vigorously, agreeing with her sister. "Please?" 

 

"I'm sure if you all are good tonight, your daddy and I might be able to find something for you." Louis promised. "So, will you all be good? I don't want your grandma to have to call me." 

 

"We'll be good." Lucas promised. He looked so sincere. Beside him, Bean nodded. 

 

"We promise." Bean said. "I'll watch them closely, mummy." 

 

"That's my good boy." Louis pulled Bean close. The amount of love in his heart was overwhelming. He couldn't even believe how he got so incredibly lucky. "Now, you can go and play some more." 

 

Everyone took off like a shot, except for Archie. He stood next to Louis, blinking up at him. "Mummy?" He asked, tugging on Louis' sweater. 

 

"Yes, love?" Louis crouched down, to the best of his ability, and looked Archer in the eye. 

 

"I love you so much." Archie answered, leaning forward to plant a messy, wet kiss onto Louis' cheek. Louis barely had time to react before Archie was running down the steps to join his siblings. He stood, rubbing at his stiff knees, and watched his kids play for a few more moments. He sighed to himself. He really was incredibly lucky. 

 

-

 

Louis cooed down at Atticus, who was in a baby backpack, and stared at the spread in front of him. He was standing at the refreshments table backstage, a long table covered with a white table cloth. There were trays of sandwiches and fruit platters and vegetable platters, a little section with tiered trays of cookies and cupcakes and cakes on a plate. There was a bowl of oranges and bananas, and little strips of meat wrapped around cheese. Needless to say, he was in heaven. 

 

He glanced around the bustling backstage area. He felt a little out of place. Harry had been dragged away almost immediately, and he was left to his lonesome. He held onto Atticus tight and tried to avoid the people rushing by, talking into headsets and holding clipboards. 

 

"Your daddy is very mean for leaving us here." He said to Atticus. "So mean." 

 

Atticus gurgled in response. 

 

"I take it you're agreeing with me." Louis mumbled, grabbing a plate. "I wish you could chew food, then I wouldn't feel like a cow eating all of this." He began filling his plate full, grabbing a napkin and a fork when he was done. He glanced around him again, seeing no place to eat. He craned his neck and searched for Harry. When he didn't see him, he began walking. Surely he'd find an empty room around somewhere. 

 

The empty room ended up being a bathroom. It was the farthest he could find from everyone else and hardly looked used. He sat down on the clean floor and leaned against the wall. He took Atticus out of the backpack and let him stretch out to sleep. He stared at nothing while he ate his food. It was good, he had to admit, but it would taste better if he were around a familiar face. 

 

When he was done, he pushed the plate away and leaned his head back. He stared at the white ceiling and sighed. Atticus was sleeping soundly on his lap, mouth open and cheeks squished. He stayed like that for maybe twenty minutes, trying to gather the courage to get up and rejoin society, or even to call Harry and find out where he was, when the door pushed open. 

 

It was Harry, and he looked relieved. "Baby." He sighed happily, letting the door fall shut as he stepped inside. "I almost had the whole damn cavalry looking for you two." He dropped to his knees beside Louis. "What are you doing in here?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "Didn't know anyone out there and we couldn't find you. I didn't want Atticus to get fussy so we just came in here." 

 

Harry's frown deepened. "You could have called me." He replied. 

 

"I don't mind. I wasn't feeling great, either, so." He shrugged his shoulders again. "Didn't want to be around a lot of people." 

 

"Anxious?" Harry asked, sitting down next to Louis. He wrapped his arm around Louis' shoulders and kissed his temple. "I should have asked if you could come with me. I should have kept an eye on you two. You're the most important person in my life." 

 

Louis smiled and leaned his head on Harry's shoulder. "You [look](http://trendom.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image5.jpeg) nice." He complimented. "I like your shirt. I like that I can see your tattoos." 

 

"Yeah?" Harry grinned. He glanced down and pulled the sheer material away from his torso. There was a fresh bandage sitting under the names of all of his babies. It was for Atticus. "If I'd have known how much you liked tattoos when I met you..." 

 

"I just like tattoos on you." Louis specified. "And I like the tattoos when they say our babies names." 

 

"And your name." Harry reminded him. "Don't forgot your name. It's right across my heart." Harry patted his chest. 

 

"Cheesy." Louis rolled his eyes. "What time do you have to be on?" 

 

Harry hummed. "Actually, a few minutes. Had to come get my best boy. I'd be lost without him." 

 

"Oh yeah?" Louis raised his eyebrows. "Find him?" 

 

Harry glanced down at Louis. "Yeah." He said softly. "I did." 

 

-

 

"Now, if you'll all join me, let's welcome Harry Styles to the stage!" The host stood and applauded, as did the crowd. Cheers from the female crowd rang out, louder than the males, who were simply there for any business advice that might come out of Harry's mouth. Louis watched from backstage as Harry walked across the stage, waving and grinning. He was truly in his element. He shook hands with the host and sat down. 

 

When the audience quieted down, James, the host, spoke. "First of all, I believe a congratulations is in order!" He clapped a few times. "You've just had a baby!" 

 

"Well, I didn't have him," Harry said, earning laughter from the crowd. He ran his hand through his hair and grinned, his dimple showing. "But yes. I love him to death." A picture of [Atticus](http://cdn.derksenphotographyblog.com/wp-content/gallery/jacob-2-months/baby-jacob-4.jpg) appeared on the screen behind them. 

 

"Now you took that picture, correct?" James asked over the cooing of the crowd. 

 

Harry turned to look at it. "Yes, I did." He nodded. 

 

"Very adorable. Obviously doesn't take after you." James bantered. 

 

Harry shook his head. "Too early to tell." 

 

"That's because all of your children look like you, yeah?" James asked, leaning back in his chair. Another picture appeared. It was of their family before Atticus was born. "I hardly think that's fair." 

 

"No, Louis doesn't think so either. He loves children but hates having with me, he jokes. Strong genes." 

 

"Well, I'll say! It's not fair. Your lovely Louis does all of the work and doesn't even get a bloody child to look like him. Not fair at all." James shook his head. "I feel for Louis. Now, you posted that picture of..." 

 

"Atticus." Harry supplied. 

 

"You posted that picture of Atticus because you wanted it to be released on your own terms?" James questioned. 

 

Harry nodded. "Yeah, yeah." He shifted in his seat. "Being in the media as often as we are, unfortunately, no one really cares about your privacy or that you might not want to be photographed everywhere you go. The pregnancy wasn't easy for Louis and I didn't want him to be bombarded or harassed coming out of the hospital simply for a picture of our baby. We took precautionary measures and I decided that I was within my right as a father to have my baby's picture released when I said so. So," He shrugged. 

 

"Well, yeah. I agree completely. It is hard to manage your personal, private life when you're in the media. I have to say that you've done a spectacular job keeping your children out of the public eye, as well. Really, it's amazing. I was talking with my producers and I was telling them about how much I was excited to have you on the show and I mentioned how cute your baby was, and one of them said,  _yeah, all of them are adorable._ " James made a face and looked at the crowd. "And I was just stunned! I said, what do you mean? And they said,  _yeah, dummy, he has eight._ I was baffled! I had to take a five minute break to gather my thoughts and to Google you!" 

 

Louis laughed, cradling Atticus. He and Harry had worked very hard to keep their babies away from the media, and he was happy to hear that they've done such a good job of it. He was proud of them. 

 

Harry threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, mate. Eight children." 

 

James stood and clapped his hands. He shook his head. "You are my inspiration. Truly. You are a machine, Harry Styles." James turned around and faced the backstage area. "And I've got to see your Louis. Is he here?" 

 

An assistant appeared beside Louis and began ushering him out onto the stage. He held Atticus tighter and kept his eyes on Harry when he was in full view of the audience. Harry gave him a reassuring smile and stood. 

 

"Good God! Look at him!" James cheered. He whistled. "I don't believe for a second that you've had eight kids. No way. Gorgeous. Harry, you're a lucky man." 

 

Harry squeezed Louis' hand and smiled. "I am. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky." 

 

The crowd clapped and cooed. 

 

"And this little guy, My God." James peered down at Atticus, who gave him a pout. "Handsome little devil. He's mean-mugging me right now." 

 

"That's all Louis, right there." Harry said. "Our children are the sassiest, craziest things you will ever encounter. But they're also kind and loving and very loyal to each other. You won't find better kids anywhere else." 

 

"Obviously that all came from Louis too, am I right?" James asked Louis. 

 

Louis couldn't help but nod. "Definitely." The crowd laughed and when they settled, Harry kissed him. He wanted to go back to his spot backstage, so he thanked James and left the bright lights in favor of the darker ones in back. 

 

"Delightful." James was saying. "He's delightful." 

 

Harry nodded and looked at Louis. He brought his fingers to his lips. "He is. He really is. I don't know how I got so lucky." 

 

"I won't pry, but the media has seemed to have a field day with you two over the years. It seemed that every other day, you two were in the papers. I don't mean to pry, but how did you two manage?" 

 

"No, it's okay. Basically, what had happened was love at first sight. I fell in love with Louis the moment I met him, and vice versa. Our first few months were very difficult, because we got pregnant with our first child very shortly after we were matched. I wasn't ready for a child and never thought I would be, but Louis was ecstatic. We didn't know how to be around each other for the longest time, and it seemed that when we would make up, something else would happen." 

 

"So one step forward, two steps back?" James condensed. 

 

"Yeah, basically. It was truly awful. We seemed to work things out just enough to get pregnant again, and then something would happen. Then we'd get pregnant again, and something would happen. It was a cycle that I quite honestly felt stuck in, and I had so much anger and confusion pent up and I didn't know what to do with it. I felt helpless at times, really, because I had Louis who depended on me and I had babies who depended on me and it felt like a lot. We struggled a lot with that." 

 

"You two have obviously worked things out now, though?" James asked, leaning forward. 

 

"Definitely. We hit the roughest part of our marriage a few years back. Divorce was actually on the table - " 

 

"Wait," James interrupted. "Like literally on the table? Not just talking about it? It had already been filed?" 

 

"Yeah, pretty much. We struggled so much and had no idea how to be around each other. It was awful. Louis was pregnant at the time. He'd actually gotten pregnant  _during_ our never-ending fight, and somehow, we still let it happen. I'll never regret any of my babies, but I do regret how our relationship was when we were having them. I'm honestly ashamed at how I let things happen." 

 

Louis wiped at his eyes with the tissue he'd snagged from a stagehand. He ached to run out there and wrap Harry up. He hated hearing Harry talk about their bad times. It made him feel so guilty, because the fault was his too. 

 

"Of course." James sympathized. "I hate to see things like that happen to people like you two. You two belong together in every sense of the word. I don't think I've ever met a more perfect couple than you two, to be honest, and I've only just met Louis." 

 

"Thanks." Harry grinned. "I really would be lost without him. He's my whole entire world." 

 

The crowed  _aw'd_ and Harry shook out his hair. James leaned back in his chair. "You weren't matched with him until you were twenty-five, right?" 

 

"Right." Harry nodded. 

 

"And he was...?" 

 

"Eighteen. Turning nineteen that Christmas." Harry answered. "I feel like a cradle robber when I say it out-loud."

 

"Nah, no one cares." James waved his hand. "You're soulmates. But how did you feel when you got that call? Being older and owning your own corporation, you know, making your mark on the world." 

 

"My first thought was that I'd never have time for whoever they matched me with. I went in simply to tell them that it wouldn't be fair to that person because I simply wouldn't be able to give them the time they'd deserve. They gave me a chance to see Louis before I left, though, and my God, I was done. As soon as I saw him, I was ready to give up everything. It was easier said than done though, which I regret." 

 

"You've made quite a name for yourself." James mentioned. "How did you manage being so influential at only twenty-five?" 

 

"It was definitely hard." Harry answered. "But - " 

 

Backstage, Atticus began to squirm in Louis' arms. There was no warning before he began wailing. Louis looked around helplessly as people slowed down to look at him. Harry even paused on stage and looked over at him. 

 

"But it was something I had to do if I ever wanted to be successful." Harry continued, giving Louis a glance every now and then. "Hard work will get you amazing things. My partner and good friend..." He looked back over at Louis and stood. "If you'll excuse me." 

 

James and the crowd watched quietly as he headed backstage. Unbeknownst to him, a camera followed. 

 

"Let me see him, love." Harry said quietly to Louis. "Do you have a bottle made for him?" 

 

Louis nodded. "Yeah. Made it earlier." He bent down and rifled through his diaper bag. "Should still be warm." 

 

Harry took the bottle and cooed down at Atticus, who was kicking his feet. He stopped when he had the bottle in his mouth, and began to suck earnestly, clutching the bottle with both hands. Harry smiled at Louis. "Hungry little guy." 

 

"Should you go back out there?" Louis asked, glancing at the crowd. He noticed the camera. The crowd was eating it up. "Take him." 

 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Sure?" He asked. 

 

Louis nodded and pushed Harry gently. "Yeah. He'll stop eating if we switch now." 

 

Harry leaned down and kissed Louis, keeping it family friendly. "Love you." He whispered before turning on his heel. He marched right back across the stage and sat down in his chair. "Sorry bout that. He has a bit of separation anxiety with me." 

 

James smiled. "That's quite alright. Adorable even. And the crowd agrees. I've never heard so many  _ooh's_ and  _aw's_ in my life. Good lot." He turned to the crowd and gestured to Harry, who was grinning down at Atticus and holding him gently. "If this doesn't make you want any kids, then I don't know what will." 

 

Harry could only grin. 

 

 

 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

" _Harry Styles stops interview with James Corden to feed crying newborn."_ Louis read, shoving a forkful of salad into his mouth. Harry watched with an amused expression as Louis completely took over his office, making himself at home. It was raining out, and the older boys were in school. The girls and Archie were with Louis' mum, and Louis and Atticus were sitting pretty at home. 

 

Louis licked the bit of dressing from the side of his mouth and continued reading from his phone. " _Harry Styles woos crowd with handsome baby. Harry Styles and Louis Styles are straight up goals."_ He rolled his eyes. "Really, Buzzfeed?" 

 

"What's wrong with that headline?" Harry asked, amused. He knew Louis had an undying hatred for Buzzfeed, ever since they began posting articles about their private lives, back when they were first matched. 

 

"It's stupid. I mean," He sat down his fork and broke a cracker in half. They had ordered soups and salads from a new restaurant in town, and had them delivered. With it raining so bad, they didn't want to go out. "We  _are_ goals, duh. But I hate that term." 

 

"I see." Harry shook his head. He had his own soup in a bread bowl in front of him, salad to the side, but he had yet to touch them. He was patient and wanted his soup to cool down before digging in, unlike Louis. He lifted his plastic fork and tossed the salad around. "Continue with the headlines." 

 

Louis swallowed and scrolled through his phone. " _Harry Styles gets real about his turbulent past with Louis Tomlinson._ Are we not married?" He scowled. "I haven't been Louis Tomlinson in  _years._ " 

 

"Rude. You should sent out a tweet." Harry quipped. He liked to make little jokes about Louis' insane obsession with Twitter. It was hilarious. 

 

"You should shut up." Louis replied, slurping some soup. "Did I tell you that you did a phenomenal job with the interview? Honestly, I'm so proud of you." 

 

"Thank you baby. I was a bit nervous. I have stage fright, you know." Harry pulled apart one of his bread rolls and dunked it in the chicken noodle soup. "By the way, this place is amazing. We should really go to the restaurant." 

 

"We drove past it yesterday, remember? The line was insane. I don't think I want to stand outside for that long." Louis thought the restaurant was simply darling, but the wait time threw him. They would have to go when they weren't hungry, just so they'd be hungry when they were finally seated. 

 

"You forget what my name can do." Harry winked. 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and rearranged the blanket that was draped across his legs. They were cozy in Harry's office, and Louis thought that he'd never think of Harry's office as cozy. He always saw it as the place Harry escaped to when he wanted to get away from them. He held a bit of resentment to the office. "Fine then. Make the reservation. I'll definitely be wanting more of this soup soon."

 

"I think I will too." Harry nodded. It was almost as good as Louis', and that was pretty damn good. "Just let me know when you want to go. We can have a little date night." 

 

"We haven't had a date night in years." Louis mentioned, glancing over at Atticus, who was dozing away on the couch. "I don't think we'd even know what to do." 

 

Harry wiggled his eyebrows and stared at Louis longingly. "I can think of a few things." He said, voice deep with arousal. He'd been without Louis' body for so long, and he was going insane. He  _needed_ to touch Louis' skin, to feel it under his hands, to taste it under his tongue. He was a weak man when it came to Louis. 

 

Louis waved his fork around in the air. "Not happening. Not for a very long time." 

 

Harry sighed heavily but nodded. "Fine." He said petulantly. "I understand. You're probably still hurting." 

 

"It's not that." Louis shrugged, moving the salad around with his fork. He stared into the bowl. "It would just feel weird. I dunno. Like empty, almost?" He shrugged again. 

 

"Baby, you know the doctor said you were fine. I know you're upset about what happened, but we were done having kids. If we were just starting out, then it would be understandably much worse. But we weren't just starting out. We were done. No more." Harry stared at Louis. 

 

Louis just shrugged. 

 

"Do you want me to make an appointment with a therapist? The doctor said it might benefit you." Harry said gently. 

 

"No, I'm fine." Louis looked up at Harry. 

 

"Baby, there's nothing wrong with talking to someone about what happened. For so long you've revolved your entire world on our babies and having them. Now that you can't, you're torn up about it. Your emotions will come and go, I know that, but I can't have you good one day and closed off the next. I won't have it." 

 

"I know." Louis nodded. "It's just strange to me. For so long, we've always had sex with the intention of getting pregnant. Or we've been careful about you wearing condoms or me taking my birth control. It's going to be so weird having sex now with no protection whatsoever. I still take the pills, you know." 

 

Harry nodded. He'd noticed the pack on the bathroom counter getting emptier. "That's fine. It's going to take you awhile to get used to it. I understand that, baby. But it was a good thing, what happened. It saved your life. You're fine and Atty is fine. You two are in perfect health and nothing else can make you sick like that again. I'm so incredibly happy that I never have to see you go through something like that again." 

 

Louis looked down again. He knew that the surgery saved his life, and he knew it was necessary. They were done having kids, but he didn't know why it bothered him so much. Maybe he really didn't feel like a true submissive anymore. They'd abandoned everything relating their dominant and submissive pairing except for having babies. It was his last tie to their previous life. 

 

"Hey." Harry said quietly, catching Louis' attention. "Let me know if you want to see a therapist." 

 

"I don't think I need one." Louis reached across the desk and grabbed Harry's hand. "Not when I have you." 

 

-

 

 Harry woke up in a cold sweat. He gasped for breath and immediately rolled over to check on Louis. He panicked when the bed was empty. As fast as he could, he rolled out of bed and checked the bassinet where Atticus should be laying. There was no baby. Panic washed over him like a bucket of cold ice and his hands shook as he wiped his face. His throat was tight and he left the bedroom. 

 

He checked in every room, making sure every one of his children were curled up warm in bed. He kissed each forehead before heading downstairs, still searching for Louis. The den was empty, the guest bedroom was empty, there was no one in the dining room. He saw a dim, flickering light in the kitchen, and hope crept up on him. He tiptoed to the kitchen and sighed in relief when he saw Louis mixing up a bottle for Atticus, who was sitting on the counter in his bouncer. 

 

"Louis." He croaked, nearly falling forward to get to his spouse. 

 

Louis turned around, scared by Harry's voice. "What are you doing up?" He asked. "You scared me." 

 

Harry just shook his head and staggered towards Louis. "Put the bottle down." He managed to get out. Louis did, just as Harry wrapped him up in a tight, suffocating hug. He swayed back and forth, burying his face into Louis' neck. "God." He whispered. 

 

"Harry?" Louis asked, worried. He clutched at Harry's back. "What's wrong? What happened?" 

 

"Bad dream." He said, voice muffled. 

 

"What happened?" 

 

"You and Atticus." Harry grunted, squeezing his eyes shut. He was actually crying. He had actually let a dream fuck him up that much. He was embarrassed. 

 

"What about us?" Louis pressed, cradling Harry almost. 

 

"C-section. Didn't make it." He said, voice breaking.  _God_ , even though he was holding Louis in his arms and had a visual on Atticus, he was still torn up. It felt so real. 

 

"Oh," Louis said, getting emotional himself. "We're right here. Healthy and happy. We're not going anywhere." 

 

"It just." Harry shook his head. "Felt real. Can't get it out of my head." 

 

"I know baby." Louis cooed into Harry's ear. He allowed Harry to hold him just a bit longer before pulling away. He managed to escape Harry's tight grip and he grabbed Atticus' bottle. "No, no. Here." He swatted Harry's grabbing hands away and handed him the bottle. He turned and picked up Atticus. With one arm supporting their newborn, he grabbed Harry's hand and walked into the den. 

 

"Baby." Harry protested. He was aching to wrap himself around Louis once more. 

 

"No." Louis stopped in front of the couch. "Sit." He waited until Harry sat before plopping Atticus down into his arms. "Here. Feed him. Hold him. He's real. He's not hurt. Neither of us are." Louis sat down on the couch and curled up right next to Harry and Atticus. 

 

Harry stuck the nipple of the bottle in Atticus' mouth and kept his eyes on his baby's angelic face.  _God_ , he was so fucking cute. He fell in love with Atticus every single minute. He wiped at his eyes with his free hand. 

 

"Harry." Louis said quietly, running his fingers through Harry's hair. "My love. Are you feeling better?" 

 

"Yeah." Harry nodded. His voice was weak. 

 

"Good." Louis hummed. "I just hate to see you like this. It breaks my heart." 

 

"Yes, well. I hate it too. It seemed so real. And when I woke up and neither of you were in bed, God. I just. Felt sick." 

 

"I should have left Atticus in the bedroom. He was getting fussy and I didn't want to wake you." Louis informed him. "Of course, the night that I take him with me, you have a bad dream. I'll leave him next to you in the bed next time." 

 

"I'm glad that you didn't want to wake me, but honestly," Harry glanced over at Louis. He looked just as tired as Harry felt. "Please leave him next time. I'd much rather wake up with him than without him." 

 

"Okay." Louis smiled and let his head fall against Harry's shoulder. 

 

-

 

 Louis spun around in a slow circle, cradling Atticus. He took in the warm interior of the private jet Harry now owned. There was a couch and chairs and a table and a room off to the side, which he assumed was the bedroom. There was an area in the back designated for the flight staff, but he wasn't sure that Harry had hired one. There was plush carpet underneath his socked feet and a little baby mat on the floor for Atticus. 

 

Harry stepped onto the plane and waited for the door to close and securely latch before turning to Louis. He spread his arms out and grinned. "Well? What do you think?"

 

"I love it, Harry." Louis gushed appreciatively. "It's very _you_. Very Styles." 

 

"Don't mistake this for the Styles & Payne Global jet, my love." Harry sat down and pulled a bottle of champagne from the ice bucket sitting on the table. "This is ours to use at our disposal."

 

Louis sat next to Harry when the pilot began speaking. Seatbelts were securely fastened and Atticus was placed snug in his car seat, strapped and buckled up. They held hands for the takeoff and when they were safely in the air, Louis turned to Harry.

 

"So does this mean I can expect to be whisked away anytime I see fit?" He asked.

 

Harry winked at him. "Oh, baby. You bet. The world is at our fingertips."

 

Louis settled back and smiled. If anyone were to tell him ten years ago that this would be his life - a wonderful, beautiful husband, more wealth than he could ever imagine, beautiful babies in a beautiful house, and a private jet to boot - he wouldn't have believed them for a second.  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> off to LAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


	29. Chapter 29

Louis held Atticus in his arms and spun around in a slow circle. He had the baby facing outwards, and he was pointing out everything and everyone, talking to their infant as if he could understand. "Look!" He directed the baby towards the center of the room. "There's daddy! He's so handsome, isn't he?" 

 

Harry looked up from where he was standing in the middle of the room, fiddling with his cuff links. He flashed a smile and Louis swooned. He wasn't aware of what the trip to LA was actually for, he just knew that Harry had some business. He didn't know that Harry would be interviewed for a magazine, have his picture taken for the cover, and make a guest appearance on a late night talk show. 

 

He was so proud of Harry. 

 

"Harry," The cameraman gathered Harry's attention. "Ready?" 

 

Harry nodded and allowed himself to be posed as the cameraman and director saw fit. Louis stayed out of the way, clutching Atticus. The commotion was not lost on the baby, and he squirmed in Louis' arms. 

 

"I know," Louis said, stepping away from the bright flashing lights. "It's so unfair that your daddy is that handsome. You're going to be that handsome one day. My goodness. I'm overrun by handsome boys. I'm just lucky, I guess." He made his way over to the refreshments table and looked at the spread. "I think that you might be hungry, baby boy. You hardly ate anything for lunch, silly one." 

 

He continued to talk to Atticus, bouncing and rocking him. Unfortunately, it wasn't helping. Atticus squirmed and cried. Harry looked over at Louis and the cameraman actually sighed and turned around. 

 

"Is he finished?" The impatient cameraman asked. "We're on a time crunch." 

 

"Whoa, hold on." Harry stepped forward. "My son is upset. He's also two months old. Watch yourself or you can find another front page." He left the center of the room and made his way over to Louis and the screaming baby. 

 

"Sorry." Louis apologized. He accepted the forehead kiss from Harry. 

 

"Don't be, love." Harry shook his head and cradled Atticus. "He's just grumpy. Maybe it's all of the sunshine here. He's not used to it." He joked. Sunny days in London were few and far between. 

 

"Wait a second." The cameraman said, and Louis braced himself for a nasty remark. "Harry, weren't you just on James Cordon's show?" 

 

"That I was." Harry nodded. 

 

"You stopped the interview to hold him. I think I have an idea. That is, if you two don't mind." The cameraman looked hopeful, and gone was the sour look he'd had previously. He spread his hands out. "I'm thinking that Harry could hold him, and we could get them both on the cover. We can put him in a little matching suit. God, the magazine is already selling." 

 

"That's actually not a bad idea." Louis said, surprising Harry. 

 

"Wait," Harry whipped his head around and looked at Louis. "Really? You'd want our two month old on the cover of a magazine?" 

 

"He's going to fuss again if you give him back to me, and besides," Louis rubbed Atticus' chin. "He'd look so dashing in a matching suit. My handsome little boy." 

 

"Well, alright." Harry turned to the photographer. "What mum says, goes, I guess." 

 

The photographer actually smiled and clapped his hands. He was utterly delighted, and Louis didn't know if it was because he imagined the money he'd make from this or because Atticus would be quiet the rest of the shoot. A few seconds later, a few assistants rushed forward, holding a little suit for Atticus. Louis raised his eyebrows at how quickly they got it. 

 

He watched as Harry took the suit and dressed Atticus, and Louis melted when he saw the two matching. He felt nothing but pride well up in his chest when he saw Harry and Atticus be positioned and have their pictures taken. He counted each of his blessings when he saw how happy Atticus was, and how happy Harry looked. He wanted that for the rest of his life.

 

-

 

Louis thumbed through the copy of the interview he, well,  _Harry_ , was sent. Harry was sleeping in the bed next to him, broad back turned to Louis and covered by the warm hotel comforter. He wasn't sure if Harry wanted him to see yet, but he was so eager to read it, and he wasn't disappointed. He skimmed over the general business questions and stopped when moments from their past caught his eye. 

 

**Interviewer: You've been through quite the turbulent year, with a car wreck that almost ended your life and a baby born. Tell me how you grew during all of that.**

_Harry Styles: Yes, well, things were definitely put into perspective for me after the car wreck. I shouldn't have been driving at all, the weather was heinous, but we were hosting a dinner party to show off our newly renovated house and I offered to run out and get the things Louis forgot._

 

Louis frowned and bit his lip. Harry didn't offer to run out and get those things. He didn't really give Harry the chance to say no, and  _that's_ why Harry went out to get them. On one hand, he was so concerned that Harry was putting the blame on himself, and the other hand, he was relieved that Harry was keeping what happened private. He'd recieved hate in the past because of his relationship with Harry. 

 

**Interviewer: Tell us what you remember, if you don't mind. We admire the strength you've obtained through it all.**

_Harry Styles: My head got pretty banged up, as well as my back and ribs. I actually had to have back surgery, which was shit, to be honest. Days went by and everyone thought I was getting better, but I got worse pretty shortly after my surgery. My heart actually stopped along the way, and [Harry wipes a tear and sniffles, and it's safe to say we're all crying in the office] Louis saw the whole thing. It was rough, you know? The absolute love of your life standing by as you have tubes shoved down your throat and one in your side._

**Interviewer: How did it affect Louis?**

_Harry Styles: It traumatized him, finding me like that._

**Interviewer: He found you?**

_Harry Styles: Yeah. We'd actually had a bit of a quarrel before, [Harry laughs] if you can believe that. Us fighting. Unheard of._

**Interviewer: You two fight often, if the tabloids and papers are anything to go by.**

_Harry Styles: Yeah, but goddamn, he's the love of my life. I would do absolutely anything for him. He's got me so wrapped around his finger. Damn, I love him._

  **Interviewer: So after your accident and everything, you and Louis sat down and planned another baby? You two didn't think that maybe you should wait?**

_Harry Styles: Funny thing, that. We didn't plan Atticus. He just sort of...showed up. We obviously aren't the best exhibits for birth control. But we love our children and we can provide for them and that's the most important part._

**Interviewer: You and Louis care for your children in a way we've never seen before. Do you ever see yourself with anyone else?**

_Harry Styles: I'm actually really offended that you'd ask that. I would give my life for Louis and I wouldn't hesitate. If I were dirt poor when we were matched, he would love me. If I lost everything tomorrow, he would love me. It goes both ways. I will love him until my last dying breath. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me._

**Interviewer: It's obvious the way you two care for each other. Has Louis had any qualms about you being in the spotlight or has he been supportive through it all?**

_Harry Styles: He's supported me through everything, but there were moments when he would struggle. It's hard to be away from the person you love the most, and I put him in that situation quite a bit, and I feel guilty for it now. At the time, I didn't realize how it affected him when I was gone. I didn't make things easy on him._

 

 

 

Louis skimmed the rest of the article before tossing it aside. He turned around, coming face to face with Harry's back. He rubbed it, remembering when it was broken and battered from the wreck. He pulled the covers down and shucked the loose shirt Harry was wearing up. He traced the faint scars at the bottom of Harry's spine and exhaled slowly. 

 

He kept his fingers there as Harry began to stir, and as Harry turned to face him, he let his fingertips glide over Harry's side, settling on his stomach. Green eyes blinked at him slowly. 

 

"Why're you up?" Harry asked, voice deep and gravelly with sleep. 

 

"Your publicist or whatever brought over a copy of the article." Louis explained quietly. 

 

Harry frowned. "This early?"

 

"He said you wanted it as soon as it was done, so." Louis shrugged. He bit his lip and looked at Harry. 

 

"Did you read it?" 

 

Louis nodded slowly. "It was beautiful." He searched Harry's face. "Did you not want me to read it? I'm sorry, I was just so curious." 

 

Harry cupped his hand over Louis' cheek. "Of course you can read it. It's mainly about you anyway. Hope you don't mind, but when they asked me to start naming off the best things in my life, I couldn't lie." He cracked a smile. 

 

"You're so goofy." Louis giggled. "Do you want to see the article?" 

 

Harry shook his head and kicked the covers down to his feet. He shifted and held himself over Louis' body. "Not just yet." He said, nipping at Louis' neck. "I want to see something else, first." And with a wicked grin, their morning began. 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so short i am so sorry

Louis peered out the window and bounced in his seat. He really enjoyed his vacation with Harry but he was eager to home to his babies. The ride home was taking forever, and it was not helped by the fat, fluffy snowflakes that were falling. He had no doubt that all of his children were scrambling around to get outside if they already weren't. They loved this time of year. 

 

"Love." Harry wrapped his hand around Louis' knee and smiled at him. "We'll be there shortly." 

 

"I know." Louis replied, biting his lip. "I'm just so excited. I miss them so much." 

 

"I do too." Harry agreed. "I miss them very much. I wonder how they've been?" 

 

"Angels." Louis answered immediately, sighing happily. 

 

Harry chuckled and squeezed his knee. "You always think they're angels." 

 

Louis shrugged and smiled. "I can't help it. I'll always think they're angels." 

 

"Even when they're not?" Harry quirked an eyebrow expectantly. 

 

"Don't speak of such things. They're your angels too." 

 

"Except, sometimes they're not angels. They can be little monsters." Harry reminded him. 

 

"Yes." Louis sighed in relief when they turned onto their street. He wished the driver would hurry. "But I love them." 

 

"Of course you do. They get that side from you." Harry unbuckled his seat belt when they stopped in front of the house. "I'll get the baby." He said, but it was useless. Louis was already out of the car and running up the porch steps. He sighed and shook his head. "What can you do?" He asked the driver, pulling his wallet out. 

 

"Beautiful family." The driver complimented, nudging Atticus under his chin. Atticus blew him a spit bubble. 

 

"Thanks. There are a hundred more in that house." Harry said, grinning. He shook his head again and handed the driver a couple of fifty pound notes. 

 

"Cheers." The driver pocketed the money and rounded the car. He proceeded to pull out their luggage. Harry helped as much as he could while holding a baby carrier, but Liam, bless his heart, came out of the house and bounded down the steps. 

 

"How was the trip?" He asked Harry, taking the luggage from the driver. 

 

Harry waved to him and walked with Liam up to the house. "Delightful. I take it Louis is lost in the sea of children?" He asked, nodding outside when they were standing in the den. Through the large picture window, he could see everyone outside. 

 

"Correct." Liam nodded. "He was very excited to see them. He's a good mum." 

 

Harry agreed. "He truly is. I definitely got lucky. He's amazing." 

 

"What do you want me to do with the luggage?" Liam asked, gesturing to the few bags they had. 

 

Harry shrugged and pulled Atticus from his carrier. "Just leave them. I'll get them later. I've got to deposit this sleepy little guy into his bed or he'll throw a fit." 

 

Liam raised an eyebrow. He looked skeptical. "He can actually tell when he's not in a bed?"  

 

Harry nodded and rubbed small circles into Atticus' back. "He's very particular. He has Louis' penchant for expensive things, that's for sure. And of course, his bassinet was very expensive." 

 

"Ah." Liam understood. "You're going to have so much fun when they all start spending your money." He laughed loudly. He only had three kids to worry about. Harry had eight. He felt for his poor friend. 

 

Harry grimaced. "Tell me about it." 

 

-

 

Harry eased right back into his routine as a father. The vacation was good, but his children were better. The excitement they felt shone on their little faces, and he couldn't get enough of it. He had planned to unpack their suitcases and maybe make a short business call, but he decided that his family was more important. He shut his phone off when Liam and Niall left, and spent time with his kids. 

 

They all wore out pretty quickly, and he plopped them all down in front of a movie, something he'd always vowed never to do with his kids, and went in search of Louis. He didn't have to go very far. He just followed the smell of food cooking and ended up hovering over Louis, who was standing at the counter. 

 

"You're annoying." Louis informed him. "You annoy me all the time." 

 

"Shame." Harry replied halfheartedly. "What are you making?" 

 

"If you really must know, I'm  _trying_ to make soup." Louis used the knife in his hand to gesture to the chopped carrots and celery. 

 

"Ollie and Theo have a thing with carrots now." Harry said obviously. "They won't eat them." 

 

"I know." Louis replied, exasperated. "I know what my children like and don't like." 

 

"I like carrots." Harry said. 

 

Louis huffed and sat the knife down. He turned around in the limited space Harry had given him and glared up at the taller man. "I know what my husband likes and doesn't like, too." 

  
A large smile stretched across Harry's face. "Yeah?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. Harry was too much sometimes. "Yes, Harry. Would you like to help me? Cause if not, then get out of my space." 

 

"I've been in your space forever." Harry said. "No point in stopping now." 

 

Louis mulled it over. "You're right. This time." 

 

"I'm always right." Harry replied haughtily. 

 

"Sure." Louis turned back around and picked up the knife. He resumed cutting. "If you're going to hover, then at least rub my back or something. I've been gallivanting all over the world with you, and I'm quite sore." 

 

Harry rubbed his hands together. "Of course. Aren't you glad I took those massage classes?" He began rubbing circles into Louis' back with his thumbs. The appreciative noise Louis breathed made him feel better. He was glad he could do something that helped his spouse. 

 

"You're finally useful." Louis agreed. He finished chopping the vegetables. "Would you put these in that pot on the stove while I check the rest of the meal?" 

 

Harry did as he was asked. "What else are you serving?" 

 

"The children," Louis began. "Will be eating toasted sandwiches." 

 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "The sandwiches are only for the children?" 

 

"No, silly. We can have some too. We're the parents, after all. What we say, goes." 

 

"Of course." Harry nodded. "Whatever you say." 

 

-

 

"I'd say," Louis said later that evening. He was rubbing lotion up and down his arms and paused in their bathroom doorway. "That dinner was a success. Ollie and Theo gobbled it right up."

 

"Yeah," Harry agreed, putting his book down. He was laying in bed shirtless, only wearing low slung sweatpants. "But they cried after you told them there were carrots in their soup." 

 

Louis shrugged. "Small victories." 

 

"You were  _smug_." Harry reminded him. 

 

Louis shrugged again and walked over to the bed. He climbed on top and crawled over to Harry. He tossed the book aside and straddled Harry's lap. "Well, what are you going to do?  _Spank me_?" 

 

Harry wound his arms around Louis' waist and settled them there. "Right now," He said. "You are wearing a baby puke stained shirt that's too big for you, your hair is messy, and your pants are stained with baby food.  _But_ , your skin is soft and your eyes are sparkling. You have bewitched me." 

 

Louis grinned. "So is that a yes?" 

 

"Oh, it's not a yes." Harry growled, flipping them over. He hovered over Louis. "It's a  _hell yes_." 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

At four thirty-six a.m, Harry had something in common with his youngest child. It wasn't the fact that they both had big green eyes or brown hair. It wasn't even that they shared the same last name, or the same love for the people around them. 

 

Neither could sleep. 

 

Atticus, bless his little heart, had been screaming at the top of his healthy lungs for a solid half-hour. And Harry, bless  _his_ heart, was the one walking back and forth in the den with his screaming child. Louis deserved to sleep and there was no way that Harry was going to rock Atticus back to sleep in their room. That would just be rude. So there he was, trying to soothe a baby who couldn't be. 

 

"Atty, please." He pleaded. "I love you very much, but you're really just putting on a show now. What's wrong? You've got a clean diaper and a full tummy. You're warm in your pajamas and you have no fever. You're way to young to be cutting a tooth. So," He held Atticus out in front of him. "Tell me the truth. You hate me, don't you?" 

 

Atticus only screamed louder. 

 

Harry sighed and racked his brain. What did babies like? Soothing motion, repetitive motion, a quiet place...the car. Harry shoved his feet into some shoes and grabbed his coat and keys. He knew Louis would kill him if he found out that he was driving, so he decided to keep that a little secret for now. It was a ridiculous time to call a driver. He walked out to the garage and slipped Atticus into his car seat. 

 

Once his baby was settled, he slipped his coat on and turned the car on. "Sit tight, baby. We're going for a drive." 

 

-

 

Two and a half hours later, Harry deposited his sleeping baby back into his bassinet. He made sure Atticus was warm and comfortable before stepping away. He had things to do downstairs before he could even think about going back to sleep. He kissed Atticus' forehead and left the room quietly. He didn't want to wake Louis. He made a quick stop to check on all of his children before heading downstairs. 

 

He'd gone grocery shopping, taking the list that he'd seen tacked to the fridge. It was a long list, and he and Atticus were at the store for longer than he'd anticipated, but it was also nice. It was quiet and there were hardly any people. Atticus was quiet for the majority of it, allowing him to gather  _everything_ on the list and more. He'd saved Louis a trip later with eight kids. He considered it a win. 

 

He put away the groceries all whilst making Louis breakfast. He could get away with making just enough for the both of them as their kids wouldn't be up for another few hours or so. While part of him hated getting up  _so_ early, the other part loved it. It was quiet and peaceful and he could get things done without distractions. 

 

When the groceries were put away and the kitchen was spotless once more, he focused more on the breakfast. Louis liked savory  _and_ sweet for his meals, so he was making pancakes and egg and bacon croissants. He thought that he would be able to plate it and sneak it upstairs to surprise Louis on a tray, but he was out of luck. He'd married an investigator. 

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked from behind him. 

 

He turned and cooed. Louis was standing the the doorway, wearing one of  _his_ shirts and a pair of sinful yoga pants. He was wearing Harry's socks and his hair was a complete mess. "Good morning baby." He greeted. 

 

"It's technically not morning." Louis shuffled into the kitchen and bumped into Harry's back. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and buried his nose in the curve of Harry's spine. 

 

"It's technically seven a.m." Harry pointed out. 

 

Louis made a noise of disgust. "You didn't answer my question." He said. His voice was muffled. "What are you doing?" 

 

"I," Harry began, flipping a pancake onto a plate. "Am making you breakfast." 

 

"Mmm." Louis moaned appreciatively. "Why?"

 

"Well, after I went grocery shopping with Atticus - " Harry began, ready to replay the events of his morning, but of course, Louis interrupted.

 

"Wait, _what_?" He asked, stepping back.

 

Harry took a deep breath. "Atticus woke me up screaming this morning. Around four-thirty, actually. Neither of us could sleep, so I took him for a car ride." He explained. "I had grabbed your shopping list and decided to waste our time at the store."

 

When Louis said nothing, he turned around. Louis was standing there with an incredulous look on his face.

 

"You went grocery shopping for me?" He finally asked. He blinked up at Harry. "You got up with our fussy baby and calmed him down and went grocery shopping for me?"

 

Harry cleared his throat and sat the spatula down. "Yes..." He answered, unsure. Their conversation could go one of two ways. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

 

Louis grinned wickedly. "Cause you're about to get laid."

 

Harry barely had time to turn the burners off before he was being dragged to the ground.

 

-

 

Harry tore off a piece of bacon and handed it to Louis, who was sitting next to him on the couch. His back was against the arm of the couch and his toes were tucked underneath Harry's thighs, which they always were in that situation. Both were fully satisfied and now enjoying a good breakfast, which Harry had to remake. 

 

It was all worth it. 

 

"I don't think we've ever had sex in the kitchen." Harry mused, cutting a piece of his pancake off. He made sure it was doused in syrup before eating it. 

 

"Sure we have." Louis confirmed. 

 

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. I would definitely remember kitchen sex." 

 

Louis frowned. "I'm sure we've had sex in the kitchen before. Maybe not this kitchen, but  _a_ kitchen, nonetheless." He nibbled on his breakfast croissant and stared at Harry. He was mesmerized with how Harry's jaw moved with the motions of his chews. If Harry wasn't careful, he could cut a bitch with that jawline. 

 

"We really have never had sex in the kitchen." Harry replied, turning to face him. "Like I said, I would remember taking you in the kitchen. It would be forever burned into my memory. Permanent wank bank fixture." 

 

"Ugh." Louis made a face. "You can't say wank bank anymore. You're too old." 

 

"Who says?" Harry asked, affronted. 

 

"Me." Louis giggled. "After two kids, you can't say things like that anymore." 

 

"Well, shit. I wonder what I can't say now with eight kids." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then he shrugged. "Oh well. I'll say what I please." 

 

"How about you say thank you." Louis suggested. "Say,  _thank you for letting me have sex with you on our kitchen floor_." 

 

"And table." Harry tacked on. "Can't forget the table. And how about you say thank you?" 

 

Louis raised an eyebrow. "For?" 

 

"For taking our screaming baby out and grocery shopping and making you breakfast." Harry replied. He had a smug smile on his face. " _And_ for making sweet, dirty love to you on our kitchen table."

 

Louis rolled his eyes and put his empty plate on the coffee table in front of them. "I already said thank you. Why do you think you got laid?" He stood and gave Harry a sweet smile. "Don't forget to bring your plate into the kitchen when you're done, love." With that, he sauntered out of the room, knowing exactly what he was doing to Harry. 

 

Harry tossed his head back against the couch and groaned. 

 

-

 

Liam leaned against Harry's open office door and stared at his friend. "You seem awfully happy for a Wednesday morning." He said. He stepped into the office and shook his head. 

 

"I have a great reason to be." Harry grinned and leaned back in his chair. He gestured for Liam to sit. 

 

Liam raised his eyebrows and sat down with a groan. He tossed a pile of papers onto Harry's desk and relaxed. "And what's that? Give yourself a raise?" 

 

Harry shook his head. He looked like a cocky teenager. "Nope." He swiveled back and forth in his chair. "Even better." 

 

"Better than a raise?" Liam scoffed. He leaned his head back against the chair. "I'm curious to know what's got my best friend acting like a cat who got the canary." 

 

"Let's just say he's five-foot-seven and rides dick like no one's business." 

 

Liam groaned. "I should have known it had something to do with Louis. You're gross, by the way." 

 

Harry held his hands up but didn't look apologetic. "Can't help it. All I did was one little thing this morning and the next thing I know, I'm getting a blowjob like never before." 

 

Liam cocked an eyebrow. "And what is it that you did for such a reward?" 

 

"All I did was take care of a screaming baby." Harry shrugged. "And I went grocery shopping. And I made Louis breakfast." He was  _way_ too cocky now. 

 

Liam rolled his eyes. "And you had  _no_ idea that doing any of that would get you laid?" He asked suspiciously. 

 

Harry shook his head. "Nope. Honest to God, I didn't. I don't do things like that for incentives, although they  _are_ nice." Harry grinned. "Liam, have you ever had sex on your kitchen table?" 

 

Liam shook his head. "I'm not discussing this with you." He said with a smile. 

 

"Well, it's great. Talk Niall into it. He'd be down for it." Harry sighed happily. It was a great day. 

 

"So you're telling me that you two have sex on your kitchen table?" Liam asked incredulously. "The same kitchen table that we eat off when we come over?  _That_ kitchen table?" 

 

Harry nodded wistfully. "Yeah. Although we might have to get another one. The legs on it are pretty shaky now. I don't want the kids getting hurt." 

 

"You - " Liam began, closing his eyes. He needed a drink. "You two almost broke your kitchen table?" 

 

"Yep." Harry answered with a wide, cocky grin. He was honestly too much for Liam. 

 

"Well." Liam stood. "There are the papers for our newest account. I'm going back to my office. My respectable office, untainted of your foul language. If you need me, call me, you freak." 

 

"Don't hate the player!" Harry yelled after Liam. He laughed as Liam closed his office door. His life honestly couldn't get any better. 

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

The day, in Louis' opinion, started out great. Everyone woke up with smiles on their faces, ate breakfast that he and Harry made together, and went to school skipping (metaphorically, they were driven). Harry decided to stay completely out of his office and decided to spend his time with Louis and their two youngest boys. When they were all alone like that, it was easy to picture that they were a little family. 

 

He and Archie settled against on the couch and turned on a movie. Louis was sure that they'd both be napping ten minutes in. He shook his head fondly and went about doing his housework. He'd barely started on the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Confused, he looked at the clock. It was nearing nine, way too early for anyone to be visiting. He picked up Atticus and made his way to the front door. 

 

"You're  _still_ here?" A cranky voice asked. 

 

It was Nora. 

 

Louis froze. "Um." Was all he could say. 

 

"You're not going to invite me in?" She sneered, shouldering past him. Her suitcase hit his shin with a harsh knock. He was sure there would be a bruise there later. "Where is my grandson?" 

 

"Harry!" Louis hollered, closing the door. It slammed shut. A few seconds later, Harry appeared, looking sleepy. When he saw Nora, he grew confused. 

 

"Nana?" He asked, stepping forward. He rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" 

 

"You aren't getting enough sleep, are you?" She ignored his question and began inspecting him from top to bottom. "And you're probably not getting enough to eat." She cast Louis a judgmental glance. 

 

"I'm fine, Nana. More than fine." Harry assured her. "What are you doing here?" 

 

"A grandmother can't visit her only grandson?" She asked, glancing over at Louis. She shoved her suitcase towards him. "Here." 

 

Harry reached forward and grabbed it. "I'll take it." He said, wrapping his fingers around the handle. 

 

"Nonsense." She tutted. "He's not doing anything at all. Just standing there, useless. He'll take it." 

 

" _No_ ," Harry said firmly, pulling the suitcase towards him. "I will take it." 

 

She let go, looking surprised. Louis wanted to smirk and remind her that not everyone had to do what she said, when she said it. He got major satisfaction from her affronted look. 

 

"Now, Nana," Harry began again. "What are you doing here?" 

 

"I have to have an ulterior motive?" She placed a hand over her chest. "Like I said, I'm just here to visit my grandson." 

 

"So you didn't come here for your great-grandchildren?" Louis was unable to stop himself from asking. Harry shot him a pleading look. 

 

Nora settled her gaze on him. "Not really, no." She finally answered. "Why bother with them? I'm sure you all will be gone soon. My Harry likes to keep his options open." 

 

"Well," Louis began, shifting Atticus in his arms. "His options have been closed for almost ten years. So I'm not so sure that you're right." 

 

She narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing. She turned to Harry instead. "What a rude little thing. Harry, honestly. It's never to late to take a mistress." She winked at him. "Assuming you haven't already." She added. 

 

"Nana, I'm perfectly happy." Harry promised her. "Now, why don't I take your things to the guest room. Then we can sit and talk." 

 

She sighed and nodded. "I am a bit weary. I think I'll go sit down." She made her way down the hall and into the den. When she was gone, Harry looked at Louis, who seemed to be steaming at the ears. 

 

"Baby," He began, sighing. "I didn't know she'd be here." 

 

"How could you? I thought witches only flew on their brooms during Halloween." He answered dryly. 

 

"Baby." This time Harry was pleading with him. "Please, let's just be peaceful." 

 

"You know I don't like her, Harry. The way she talks to me and the kids. The way she talks  _about_ me and the kids. It's degrading. I don't want them around her." Louis told him. 

 

Harry lifted the suitcase in his hand. "It's light, and there's only one. Cross your fingers that this is a short stay." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes but nodded. "I'll go make some tea." 

 

"Try not to poison hers." Harry said, half joking and half serious. He could really see Louis poisoning his Nana. 

 

"No promises." Louis said, turning. When he got into the kitchen, he actually cursed. He really wanted to poison her. 

 

-

 

Nora stared at Atticus with a frown. She was sitting primly in an armchair, tea untouched in front of her. "So." She began. "Is this the same little beast that I saw on my last visit?" 

 

Louis frowned. "Obviously not. Children grow." He said. "You would know, you eat them." He muttered after that. Harry nudged him. 

 

"So this one is new?" She seemed appalled, and now looked at the baby with distaste. "I can't say I'm surprised. With the more kids you have, the more you have to pay in a divorce. I assume that's your plan?" She looked at Louis expectantly. "Drain my Harry dry?" 

 

"Nana." Harry said. "He wasn't planned." 

 

Nora snorted. "Right." 

 

Louis grew furious. "Who do you think you are, insulting my children?" 

 

"Nana." Harry pleaded. "I'm very happy with Louis and I'm very happy with my children. Can we get off this subject now?" 

 

Nora sighed and pursed her lips. She looked as if she wanted to say something nasty, but held her tongue. "I suppose. Harry dear, tell me about your business." The look she sent Louis told him that they would be continuing later. 

 

-

 

Hours of unnerving silence later, Harry and Louis left to go pick up the kids from school. Harry had wanted to leave Atticus and Archie with Nora, but Louis made it blatantly obvious that none of their kids were to be left alone with her. Harry couldn't disagree. He knew how much his Nana disliked his children. It frustrated Louis most of all, he knew. Louis wanted everyone to get along but he tolerated no one who disliked his children. 

 

"Are you going to be silent all day?" Harry finally asked, shifting himself in the passengers seat. Louis still had yet to let him drive. It was mildly frustrating. 

 

"Probably." Louis clipped. He glanced in the rearview mirror at his two youngest. "I can't believe she's back. I thought she hated me and the kids enough to never visit again." 

 

"She doesn't hate you." Harry tried to convince. "She just...." 

 

"She loves you too much." Louis finished. "She thinks that you deserve way better than me and the kids." 

 

"That's not true." Harry disagreed. 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and pulled into the school parking lot. "Yes it it." He unbuckled. "She thinks that I'm below your class or whatever and that your children are subpar." He sounded bitter. "She thinks they'll suffer because of their basic upbringing."

 

Harry grabbed Louis' hand and held it firm. "You can't believe that. Baby, listen. The way we're raising our children is ensuring that they will grow up to be strong, independent, and smart. They care about things that matter, like the environment, and people of lesser means. They don't care about money or status or anything like that. Don't listen to my Nana. You're raising my babies perfectly." 

 

Louis sighed. "It's just that she says those things in front of the kids. She berates me and the way I grew up and the way we are now in front of them and I don't want them hearing that. It's unacceptable." 

 

Harry nodded. "I agree. It is. I'll talk to her. I promise I will." He brought Louis' hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "Now, are you going to go get our children or shall I?" He checked his watch. "The bell should be ringing soon." 

 

"I'll go and get them. I need to warn them that the wicked witch has flown in." He said, opening the door. "Watch my youngest ones." He gestured to the back seat, where Archie was napping and Atticus was blowing spit bubbles. "They're my favorite." He winked and closed the door. 

 

Harry watched him make his way through the parking lot up to the school, where the other parents were waiting. He watched for a moment before turning to the backseat. "Don't let it get to your head." He said to the two boys. 

  
Archie slept but Atticus jerked his gaze to Harry and began kicking his feet. Harry unbuckled and leaned over the seat so that Atticus could see his face. The baby grinned, showing off his toothless smile. 

 

"Hi baby." He greeted. "Like I was saying, don't let what your mum said get to your head. I'm confident he has no favorites." 

 

-

 

When the car was filled with the rest of their children, the noise level went up several notches. Everyone was babbling excitedly about their day and what was happening lately in their classes. Bean was talking about football, Lucas was worried about his upcoming ballet recital, the twins were nibbling on pencils, and Olivia and Bella were discussing their new light up shoes. 

 

"Children," Harry said, and the noise ceased. "Your great-grandmother has come to visit."

 

There was silence, then, "Who?" From Lucas. Louis gave Harry a look. Harry ignored it. 

 

"My Nana, your great-grandmother. You remember her, don't you?" He asked, watching their confused faces. "She stayed with us when Archie was a baby." 

 

"Oh." Bean said, and Harry was relieved for two seconds that one of his children liked her enough to remember. Then, " _Her_." Bean's face was one of disgust, and Harry sighed, defeated. He turned back around. 

 

"See?" Louis said. "They don't like her. Kids pick up on when they're not liked, and they reciprocate." 

 

"What do you want me to say?" Harry snapped. "That you were right? Is it so bad that I want my Nana and my family to get along?" He crossed his arms and sat quietly. He was irritated by the turn of events. 

 

"Hey, no." Louis answered quietly. "Harry, I'm sorry. I don't like her, but I can pretend in front of the kids. I don't want you to feel like you have to choose." 

 

"I  _have_ chosen, though." Harry said. "I chose you all, every time, every scenario, it's always you and the kids. I don't care if my Nana can't accept it, but I want things to be civil. God knows my mum gets the brunt of it from Nana all the time." 

 

Louis frowned. "What do you mean?" He was delighted to hear that Harry was so defensive of them, especially to his grandmother, but he didn't understand why Anne would face wrath from Nora. 

 

Harry sighed. "My Nana doesn't like you." He began. "And she really never has. I think it's because I never told her that I was matched to you, and we didn't invite her to the wedding. Nor did we send her an announcement about any of the babies. I think that she blames you for my disappearing from the family." 

 

Louis furrowed his brows in confusion. "But you didn't disappear from your family." He said. 

 

"No." Harry agreed. "But I haven't talked to her since we got married. Which isn't your fault at all. Not one single bit. I just decided to focus on you and growing our family." 

 

"Which isn't a crime. She's so hellbent on trying to break us up that she won't even take the time to get to know me or the kids." Louis shook his head. "It's ridiculous. I want my children to know their great-grandmother." 

 

Harry reached over and squeezed Louis' thigh. "I know you do. I do too. But there's nothing we can do. She has to be willing. We can't force her to like them." 

 

Louis sighed heavily. "I know." 

 

"Now." Harry said, glancing back at his eight sleepy babies. "Let's pick up dinner and get home." 


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's a heckin long chapter to take yalls mind off of everything for awhile 
> 
> enjoy xoxo

When they returned home with pizza boxes in their hands, Nora was less than amused. In fact, she followed the family into the kitchen, staying particularly close to Louis. She watched in disdain as Harry sat the kids down at the table and let them take the food right from the boxes. She turned her nose up when she saw that they didn't use any plates at all. 

 

"Honestly, dear." She said to Louis. Her voice was full of sticky sweet falseness. "Is this how you feed your family? After they've all had such a hard day?" 

 

"First of all, yes, this is how I feed my family." Louis answered her, not bothering to look her way. "If my children request it, then it's what they get. Especially after they've all had such a hard day." He mocked. 

 

"Baby." Harry said, eyes flickering up towards Louis. He was silently pleading with Louis to get along with Nora. 

 

Louis sighed and turned his attention to his hungry children. "Nora, would you like some pizza?" He asked a few moments later. He was extending an olive branch, and it would be the only one. 

 

Nora turned her nose up. "You call that  _mess_ food?" She sniffed. "Absolutely not. I'll make myself something to eat later." 

 

"Suit yourself." Harry said quickly, noticing that Louis was opening his mouth. Louis had a sharp little tongue and Harry wanted to avoid all conflict for the time being. "Baby, sit down. I'll feed Atty." 

 

"Nonsense, Harry." Nora chimed in. "You sit down. Your harlot will get up and make sure that your children are fed first. It's what a good  _mother_ does." 

 

Louis paused and looked over at Harry expectantly. Harry sighed and closed his eyes. 

 

"Nana," He began. "Please, let me handle my family." 

 

Nora narrowed her eyes. "Fine. But I won't stand here and watch  _him_ do this to you." She turned on her heel and stormed away. Everyone watched her go. When she was completely gone, Bean turned to Louis. 

 

"Mummy? Who is that lady?" He asked curiously. He looked at Louis with his bright green eyes. 

 

"That's your great grandmother." Louis answered, feeling proud of himself for not sneering. Instead, he gave Harry a look. It said,  _see, your own children have no idea who she is._  

 

"She's my Nana," Harry answered. "Like how Grandma Jay and Grandma Anne are yours." 

 

"Oh." Bean realized. "I don't like her." 

 

Harry frowned. "Why not?" He knew that his kids were hesitant towards Nora, but he had no idea that any of them would come right out and say they hated her. It honestly hurt his feelings a bit. 

 

"She's mean to mummy." Bean answered quietly. "I don't like it." 

 

"Aw, baby." Louis scooted closer to Bean and wrapped his arms around his eldest child's shoulders. He kissed Bean's messy curls. "Don't worry about me, baby. Your great grandmother and I...we get along." The words tasted bitter on his tongue. He glanced over at Harry, who looked pained. 

 

"I don't think so." Bean shook his head. 

 

"Trust me, baby." Louis promised. "Now, eat your dinner. I want that little tummy full, okay?" 

 

Bean nodded and picked up his pizza. Louis kissed his head once more before glancing over at Harry. He was staring down at his pizza, arms crossed. He was chewing on his lip. He looked so hurt. It broke Louis' heart. 

 

-

 

"Okay," Louis said, closing their bedroom door. "Every single one of your offspring are asleep. Ollie and Theo put up a fight, but what's new. Archie was ornery, but hey, what can I expect from your sperm?" He shuffled across the floor and yawned into his hand. "And now," He climbed up onto the bed. "We are free to do whatever we please." 

 

Harry sat there, silently. There was a magazine in his lap, but it was unopened. "I think I just want to sleep." He finally said. 

 

"Okay." Louis said after a beat. "That's fine. You look tired. Is something bothering you?" He sat back on his bottom and crossed his legs, staring at Harry. 

 

"No." Harry answered quietly. It was a lie. 

 

"Hey," Louis reached forward and rubbed Harry's thigh. "You can tell me. I know something is bothering you." 

 

Harry sighed heavily and put his magazine away. He scooted down the bed and made himself comfortable, burrowing under the blankets. "I don't want to talk about it." He said. "I just want to go to sleep." 

 

"Okay," Louis nodded his head slowly. "You can tell me anything, Harry. You know that, right?" He leaned up onto his hands and kissed Harry's cheek. "But you're tired, and you don't want to talk about it, so, goodnight. I love you very much." 

 

He rolled over and turned his bedside lamp off, then rolled back over to curl up behind Harry's back. He closed his eyes and drifted off. He didn't know exactly how long he was asleep, but Harry's voice woke him. He opened his eyes and discovered that sometime during his sleep, Harry had rolled over onto his back, and wrapped him up in his arms. 

 

"I feel so guilty." Harry said quietly. 

 

"Why?" Louis asked. It took him awhile to remember that something had been bothering Harry right before he went to sleep. 

 

Harry sighed heavily. "When Bean said that he didn't like my Nana because she was mean to you, I just felt like a failure. My children are noticing how awfully she treats you, and that means they're noticing how I don't do anything to stop it. I'm supposed to protect you from everything bad and awful, and yet I let it into the house." 

 

"It's not your fault she hates me." Louis assured Harry. "It's really not. And you can't shield the kids away from everything." 

 

"I can try." Harry sounded like he was punishing himself. "I haven't been a very good role model for them lately." 

 

Under the sheets, Louis found Harry's hand splayed across his abdomen and squeezed it. "Stop being so hard on yourself. I've kept them away from her and her negativity for the most part." 

 

Harry rolled over and blinked at Louis. They were nose to nose almost. "That's the thing. You shouldn't have to be keeping them away from family." He closed his eyes. "This whole thing is so fucked up." 

 

"I know." Louis cooed. He leaned forward and kissed Harry's nose. "I wish you didn't carry this weight. I wish I could carry it for you." 

 

Harry opened his eyes. In the pale moonlight that was filtering through their room, they looked almost electric. "No. She's my problem. You don't deserve to get the brunt of her wrath. I'll talk to her tomorrow." 

 

Louis smoothed his hand down Harry's face and exhaled. "Okay. I love you so much." 

 

"I love you too." Harry replied, burrowing his face into the crook of Louis' neck. Louis began running his fingers up and down Harry's bare back. It was a small act that he hoped would comfort Harry. After all, if Harry couldn't control his Nana, none of them could. 

 

-

 

The next morning, Louis was yawning into his hand and flipping pancakes when a presence behind him startled him. It was Nora, who was standing near him, dressed to the nines. 

 

"Yes?" He asked, raising a brow. It was too early for her shit. 

 

"Louis, dear," She began. It was the first time she'd used his name. "I have a favor to ask of you." 

 

"Uh," He said skeptically. "Okay?" 

 

"Now," She began, sitting down on a stool. She propped her elbows up onto the kitchen counter. "I know I haven't been the most gracious guest, but I was hoping to get some alone time with my grandson tonight." 

 

"I can't control who Harry spends his time with, if that's what you're implying." He told her. He poured more batter into the pan and watched it form a circle. 

 

"Oh, no, of course not." She laughed. She  _laughed_. Louis stiffened. Something was up. "I was thinking I could cook him dinner. But, there is a catch." 

 

"Here we go." He muttered. He braced himself and turned around to face her. He raised his eyebrows expectantly. 

 

"You see, dear, I would want it to just be me and Harry. I've arranged for your children to go to a fabulous children's club for this evening. They'll be served dinner, watch movies, play with kids their own age. And the baby will be taken care of in the nursery they have." 

 

Louis shook his head. "That's very kind, but I don't think - " 

 

"And, I've booked you for a session at the best spa in London." She finished, smirking. She had just sealed the deal. 

 

Louis pondered what she had said. Of course, he'd have to look up the children's club and make sure it's reputable. But dammit, she had hooked him with that spa. He really could use a little TLC, and an evening of pampering sounded exactly what he needed.

 

"I would have to make sure it was alright with Harry." He finally said. "He's very picky on who watches the kids." 

 

A smile spread across Nora's face. In the dim light of the kitchen, it was almost sinister. "I'm sure Harry will go with it. After all, he rarely sees me." She stood up and walked out of the kitchen. 

 

Her remark stuck with Louis. "Yeah," He muttered, putting the fresh pancakes onto a plate. "And whose fault is that?" 

 

-

 

The kids were taken by a car later that evening. Harry had researched the club until he couldn't possibly find anything wrong with it, and decided that it would be a fun experience for them. He and Louis stood on the porch and watched and waved as they all piled into the sleek town car that arrived. When it drove off, Louis turned to Harry. 

 

"I guess I should go then." He said, rubbing his arms. There was a chill in the air, which of course. It was November. He was hesitant to leave Harry with just Nora. He had a bad feeling about it. 

 

"Everything will be fine." Harry assured him. "Now go. You'll miss your appointment." 

 

Louis stepped forward and put his hands on Harry's chest. "What if...I stay home and we make love in the bathtub?" He bit his lip and blinked coquettishly at Harry. 

 

"As tempting as that sounds," Harry gripped Louis' hands. "Nana won't rest until she's had me to herself, and you deserve some pampering. We'll make love in the bathtub tonight, when everyone is asleep." 

 

"That's a promise you'd better keep." Louis stood up on his tiptoes and planted a kiss to Harry's lips. "And you're right, I deserve some pampering. I'll see you later." 

 

"I love you, baby. Be careful!" Harry watched him walk down the steps, eyes staying firmly put on his luscious bottom. He waved when Louis began backing out of the drive, and when he couldn't see the car anymore, he went back inside. He closed the door and inhaled. 

 

"Something smells good, Nana." He called, pausing in the dining room doorway. The table was made up in fine china, candles were lit, and soft music was playing. He saw a bucket of ice and champagne. "Is this dinner or a date?" He called again, joking. 

 

Nora poked her head around the corner. "My silly boy." She said fondly. The doorbell rang, and she smiled at him. "Would you be a dear and get that?" 

 

"Sure." Harry turned on his heel and walked back over to the door. He swung it open. "How can I help you?" 

 

"Harry!" The woman greeted. "How are you?" 

 

Harry frowned. "I'm fine? Can I ask - " 

 

"Diana!" Nora chimed from behind Harry. She nudged her grandson out of the way and pulled the woman - Diana - into a hug. "Harry," She tugged Diana into the house and closed the door. "You remember Diana, don't you?" 

 

"Vaguely." Harry answered. 

 

"She owns her own business. I'm sure I've told you about her before. You two knew each other, long ago." Nora reminded him. 

 

Then it hit him. Diana was the one his grandmother had tried to set him up with romantically when she last visited. "Nana," He said. 

 

Nora clapped her hands and ignored Harry. "Now, come! Dinner is ready." 

 

-

 

Louis was almost to the city when he'd realized he forgot his wallet. Should he want any extras or perhaps dinner on the way home, he was screwed. He cursed and turned around, thankful that traffic wasn't bad. He hated driving in heavy traffic. As he drove back home, he thought about the massage he'd get, and the facial. He grinned to himself when he realized that it wouldn't be the only facial he would get that night. 

 

Twenty five minutes later, he was pulling into their driveway. He shut the car off and hopped out. He tucked his keys into his pocket and made his way up the stairs. He could smell whatever Nora had made Harry right outside the door, and when he opened it, his nose was hit with a variety of smells. He closed it quietly, hoping to just be in and out. He didn't want to disturb them. 

 

He found his wallet and was just about to leave when he heard a female voice. It wasn't Nora. He paused, and when he heard it again, this time accompanied by, " _Harry, you're so handsome_ ", he made his way over to the dining room doorway. His jaw dropped when he looked inside. 

 

His best china was being used, and candles were lit everywhere. The mysterious female was sipping champagne and leaning far too closely to Harry for his liking. It was a date. 

 

"What's going on here?" He asked, breaking whatever mood they were in. 

 

"Baby!" Harry frowned. "What are you doing home?" 

 

"I forgot something." Louis answered. "So what's going on?" He asked again. 

 

"Just a little business meeting." Nora assured everyone. She stood. "Now, dear. You really should be on your way. Don't want to keep the spa waiting." 

 

"Business meeting?" Diana asked. "You said this was a date." 

 

"Nana!" Harry gasped. 

 

"I don't believe I used the word  _date_ , dear." Nora said primly. 

 

"You said that he was divorcing the gold digger he'd married and that he was looking for someone else!" Diana said. 

 

"What?" Harry stood, eyes wide. He turned to Louis. "Baby - " 

 

Louis held up his hand. "Stop." He said. "I think you should leave." He said to Diana. 

 

She nodded and stood. "I think you're right. Harry, lovely seeing you again. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have come." She shot Nora a nasty glare before leaving. When she was gone, Nora turned to Louis. She was mad. 

 

"How dare you interrupt like that?" She snapped. 

 

"No, Nana." Harry walked over to Louis and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't know - " 

 

"I know." Louis replied quietly. Harry wanted to believe that his nana would never do anything like that. 

 

"Excuse me." Nora snapped again. "We were in the middle of something when you rudely barged in. I think you owe me an apology." 

 

"No, he doesn't." Harry turned to face her. He kept himself pressed against Louis. 

 

Nora glanced at Harry. "He needs to know his place." 

 

"His place is right here, Nana." Harry told her. "His place is right next to me." 

 

Nora took a step forward. "Harry, you're not thinking clearly." 

 

Harry was fuming. "How dare you say that to me. How dare you bring someone else into this home and try to set me up. How  _dare_ you." 

 

Nora drew back in shock. "I just want you to be happy, Harry." 

 

"I  _am_ happy!" He cried. "I'm beyond happy. This," He gestured to Louis. "Is the love of my life. I would do anything for him. I would  _die_ for him. I would die for my children. How can you not see that? How are you so blind?" 

 

Nora turned her nose up. "I read the papers, Harry. I know you two have had more marital problems than one can count. I know you were close to a divorce. Why didn't you sign it, Harry?" She cried. "Why did you not sign the papers? I know he would have gotten nothing. You would be free from them!" 

 

Harry narrowed his eyes. " _Them_?" He asked quietly. "If you're saying that about my children, Nana, I swear to God - " 

 

"Harry," Louis interrupted. He wrapped his hands around Harry's bicep. "Baby, calm down." 

 

Nora watched as Louis and Harry seemed to communicate through simple looks. She watched as Harry's eyes softened when he looked at Louis and his pleading face. She noticed how Louis' fingers would linger on Harry's arm, just as a simple reassurance. She saw how Harry collected himself before turning once more to her. 

 

"Nana," He said quietly. "I did sign the divorce papers. We both did. We decided our love for each other wasn't worth it. But it was. If the divorce had been finalized, Louis would have gotten nothing. He would have been taken out of the system and he'd never get another chance to love anyone else. Our children, including the baby he was pregnant with when we were about to divorce, would have been split up and sent all over the country. He would never be allowed to see them again. Do you know why I changed my mind about the divorce?" 

 

Nora shook her head. 

 

"Because I looked at him one day and felt sick to my stomach. He was carrying my son, my child was growing inside of his body, and he didn't look happy about it. He looked defeated and worn down and tired. He didn't put up a fight for my money. He put up a fight for the kids. He made me promise that if the divorce was approved that I would take the kids. He didn't care if he never saw them again, just as long as they stayed with me." 

 

He hooked an arm around Louis' shoulders and pulled him close. "He's so strong, Nana. Can't you see that? He's strong for me when I can't be, he's strong for his mother and father, he's strong for all of the babies he's given me." He looked at his grandmother. "He's strong because he doesn't dwell on the fact that he can't bear any more children for me. He doesn't let that stop him from being the best mother he could ever be for the ones we have. I can't tell you how many times I've been told that he might not make it after he births a child. 

 

"He puts up with me, Nana. He's not in it for the money, or the expensive things. He's in it because by some stroke of luck, he puts up with my shit all day, every day. He is the only person out there for me, Nana, and not even you could change that. I can not and will not leave the mother of my children. I will stay and fight with him until we turn blue in the face, but I'm not leaving him. I love him too goddamn much. You should be proud of the way I was raised, Nana. You shouldn't be trying to change that." 

 

Nora was silent for several moments. Louis actually thought that her brain might be fried. He didn't think she'd ever been spoken to like that in her life. Finally, she cleared her throat. "Do you know what I think, Harry? I think that we should talk when you're not being so unreasonable." With that, she left the room. 

 

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He dropped his head onto Louis' shoulder and wrapped his arms around Louis' waist. "I'm so tired." He said quietly. 

 

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and began running his fingers through his hair. "I know." He said. "I wish it were me instead of you." 

 

Harry shook his head. "I don't. You don't need the stress she causes. You have enough on your plate." 

 

"I know." He sighed. "You don't deserve this." 

 

They stood there, wrapped up in each other, for some time. Louis was comforting Harry to the best of his ability. He was so in love with Harry it hurt. And hearing Harry say those things made him proud of his husband. 

 

"Let's go to bed." Harry suggested later, in a quiet tone. "I want to lay down." 

 

"Anything you want." Louis agreed. He let Harry lead the way. 

 

-

 

Later, when Harry had fallen asleep, Louis went downstairs and began to clean up the mess Nora had left. He scraped the dinner off into the trash, not even bothering to save it. He was afraid that she'd poisoned it, and there was no way he'd feed it to his children. He busied himself with cleaning, because if not, he'd march right over to Nora's room and bitch her out. 

 

"Louis?" Nora's voice came from the doorway. 

 

He paused and braced himself. "I have nothing to say to you." He continued cleaning. 

 

"I suppose I deserve that." She said calmly. 

 

"No, you deserve a lot worse." He snapped. 

 

"I wish you would just hear me out." She sat down and looked at him expectantly. 

 

"Well, you know, I wished that the day you first came here, but it didn't happen, did it?" He asked. "You didn't give me a chance, so no. I won't hear you out." 

 

"You're not being very fair." She sniffed. 

 

"I learned from the best, I guess." He turned to face her. "Now, I won't listen to you, but you'll listen to me. I love Harry more than life itself. I would love him if he was penniless and we lived in a box. I take my vows very seriously and I have loved him through sickness and health, for better or worse. We have loved each other through heartbreak and pain and fighting and family traumas and so much more. He's loved me through multiple pregnancies, through  _hard_ pregnancies, and the times that came after them." 

 

Nora sighed. "I have my grandson's best interest at heart. I don't want him making a mistake." 

 

"Harry is so smart. Don't you think that if he thought I was a mistake, he wouldn't be with me?" Louis asked. He tossed the hand towel he was holding onto the counter. "Now, I'm sorry for not inviting you to our wedding or sending you announcements for your great grandchildren, and I'm sorry for whatever it is I did to make you hate me, but I'm not going to apologize for loving Harry so much it hurts. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get my children. I think it's best if you leave tomorrow morning." 

 

He left the kitchen feeling proud of himself. 


	34. Chapter 34

When Louis entered their bedroom after his talk with Nora, he saw that Harry was awake. He closed the door quietly and shuffled across the floor. He climbed onto the bed and curled up next to Harry, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. 

 

"I thought you'd still be asleep." He said after getting comfortable. He tucked his toes between Harry's calves. 

 

"Can't sleep without you pressed against me." Harry replied. "And I thought I heard Atticus crying." 

 

Louis craned his head and looked towards the bassinet across the room. "He's a good baby. He wouldn't cry unless he absolutely had to." He smiled. "I talked with your nana." 

 

"Can we not talk about her for awhile?" Harry asked. "I want to forget tonight ever happened." 

 

Louis propped himself up and looked down at his tired husband. "Harry, you aren't regretting tonight, are you? Because you shouldn't." 

 

Harry exhaled slowly. "I was so rude to her." 

 

"Everything you said she needed to hear." Louis told him. "You did nothing wrong. You stood up for me and your children." 

 

"But she's my  _grandmother_ , Louis." Harry finally looked at Louis. "I can't speak to her that way." 

 

"Yes, Harry, you  _can_. She has done nothing but belittle me and the kids and the house and the way we live ever since she got here. She makes the kids uncomfortable and she makes me angry. She can't talk to us that way, Harry, and you know it." He sighed and rested his head on Harry's shoulder. "I'm so proud of you. You have no idea." 

 

"I just wish I didn't feel so fucking awful." Harry grunted. He sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. I'm going back to sleep." He rolled over and faced his back to Louis. 

 

"You're not going to cuddle me to sleep?" Louis asked, jokingly. He prodded at Harry's bare back. 

 

"Not tonight." Was Harry's answer. 

 

Louis frowned and stopped poking Harry. He tried not to let it hurt so much. He knew what Harry was going through. He knew that Harry was stressed out and angry at himself for being rude to his grandmother. It was something that needed to be done, and hopefully Nora would have a better attitude. Hopefully she'd see what kind of stress she was causing Harry. 

 

He cast one more glance at Harry before laying down. It was hard to keep himself from rolling over to cuddle up next to Harry, so he turned his back and tucked his hands underneath the pillow. If Harry wanted space, he would respect that. He didn't like it, but he'd respect it. 

 

-

 

Louis woke up the next morning around four and couldn't get back to sleep. He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying his hardest not to roll over and attach himself to Harry, who was still facing away from him. He sighed and sat up. He should probably check on Atticus and start breakfast. With the weather being cold and crisp, he wanted his family to eat a big, hot breakfast every day. 

 

He slid out of bed and made sure Harry was covered up before making his way over to Atticus' bassinet. He got there just as the baby was blinking his eyes, face scrunched. He swooped in and picked him up before he could start wailing. He'd felt Harry tossing and turning all night, and he wanted him to sleep longer. He'd had a rough night. 

 

"My goodness." He whispered to Atticus. "You're up early, little one. But that's good. You can help me with breakfast." He stepped out of their bedroom and closed the door behind him. "After you eat, of course. Gotta fill that little tummy up." 

 

He made his way down the stairs and through the foyer. When he got to the kitchen, he turned on a simple, dim light. He fixed Atticus a warm bottle and walked around the kitchen as the baby ate. He was amazed that Atticus finished the whole bottle. Usually, the baby would leave at least a quarter of the bottle. When Atticus was done, he put the bottle in the sink and settled Atticus into his little sleeper bed. 

 

He pulled out all of the necessary ingredients for a big breakfast and began preparing. He figured french toast and bacon, eggs, and potatoes would work. Savory and sweet always worked with his group of picky children. He took his time, humming along to a commercial jingle he'd heard on the television last night. He was so engrossed in cooking that he didn't hear Nora walk into the kitchen and sit down. 

 

Her throat cleared and he startled, turning around. 

 

"Oh." He said. 

 

"Louis, I," Nora sighed. 

 

Louis interrupted her. "When Harry wakes up, he'll take you to the airport. We'll pay for your ticket since I'm assuming it's an earlier flight back. I think it would be wise for you to leave before the kids wake up." He said firmly. 

 

"Louis," She said again. Louis was mildly surprised that she was using his name. Usually, it was Trollop, or Floozy. "Can we talk?" 

 

Louis shook his head and checked on the french toast. It was coming along nicely. "I think everything that needed to be said was said last night. There is nothing more to talk about." 

 

"Yes, there is." She said sharply. "I owe you an apology." 

 

Louis looked up, surprised. "Excuse me?" He wasn't sure that he heard her right. 

 

She nodded her head. "That's right. I need to tell you  _why_ I don't like you. Or, rather, didn't like you. Can I explain myself?" 

 

He nodded hesitantly. 

 

She took a deep breath before speaking. "I love my Harry. Obviously, it might not look like I show it, but I do. I love him dearly, and I guess I'm a little protective over him, as I should be. After everything happened between him and his father - " 

 

"They made up." Louis informed her. 

 

"Not then. When Harry was a boy. I don't know if he's told you because he hates talking about it - " 

 

"He's told me." He cut in. 

 

Nora looked surprised, but composed herself rather quickly. "Well, then you know how he was treated. You don't know how that affected me as his grandmother. He would come over to my house in tears, or completely drawn away from everybody. His sister is significantly older than him, so she was almost out of the house when it began. He had no one to really talk to." 

 

She looked Louis in the eye. "He's driven towards success, Harry, and he's found it. So you can imagine the amount of bidders he's gotten over the course of his career. People are vultures and they wanted his money, not him. I watched him grow into a successful young man, and I watched as these people tried to come in his life and plant their flag on his bank account." 

 

"I was never one of those people though." Louis crossed his arms and leaned back against the kitchen counters. "Before I took my tests, Harry Styles was just a name to me. A vague, almost non-existent name. I never wanted his money." 

 

"I know that now." She admitted quietly. "I did some thinking last night, Louis. If you were truly in it for the money, you would never have had so many children. You'd be in a lavish house, with lavish clothes, maids and butlers and a chef. There would be expensive cars in your driveway, and expensive jewelry atop your skin. You would expect nothing more from Harry than a paycheck." 

 

She fiddled with the hem of her sweater. "You filed for divorce. You wouldn't have done that if you were truly after Harry for his money. You would have stayed with him until he was old and grey and then cashed in his life insurance. You love him." 

 

Louis nodded. "I do." He agreed. 

 

Nora hesitated before speaking again. "That's not the only reason I disliked you." She admitted. 

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" 

 

She nodded. "You seemed perfect. Almost too perfect. You are such a good mum to your kids, and you cook for them and you are kind to everyone. Harry is head over heels in love with you. I suppose I was angry towards you because I never had that in my marriage. We married for business reasons and that was it. Anne was the only good thing out of my relationship with Harry's grandfather. You two have it all." 

 

"We may seem perfect, but we're far from it." Louis disagreed. "You don't know what happens behind closed doors." 

 

"Ah, but there's the thing. As quickly as the fights come, they're resolved, are they not?" She asked wryly. 

 

"More or less." He nodded. 

 

"I assume Harry can't stay mad at you for very long. You are the very epitome of what he loves. I know that he's wrapped around your little finger. I watch, Louis, and I see things." 

 

"I love him very much." Louis said. 

 

Nora nodded once. "As do I." 

 

"But you come here and you hurt him." He informed her. "You judge his life. You judge how we raise the kids and what they eat for dinner and  _me_. He was upset last night, Nora. More than you can imagine. I had to hold him, knowing that he was feeling hurt and confused by your behavior." 

 

"I intend to remedy that." Nora exhaled slowly. "I'm hoping to speak to him before he decides he hates me completely. I would like to see my great-grandchildren again. I do have a reason for coming here, Louis." 

 

He frowned as he began plating the breakfast he was making. "And what's that?" 

 

"I'm dying." She said simply. 

 

The spatula Louis was using clattered to the floor and he swirled around to stare at her. "What?" He nearly shrieked. He glanced over at Atticus, who was sleeping once more. He quieted his voice. "What?" He asked again. 

 

She nodded. "I don't have very much time left. I thought I should make amends while I still could." 

 

"What are - what are you suffering from?" He asked, clearing his throat. He felt more emotional than he thought he would. 

 

"My heart isn't what it used to be." She answered vaguely. "I'm telling you this because I know I can count on you." 

 

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Count on me for what?" He asked. 

 

"Not to tell Harry." She said. 

 

"Oh no." He began shaking his head. "You can't expect me not to tell my husband. He deserves to know." 

 

"Harry will want to get me the best medical help out there. I simply can't let that happen. A person knows when they need to die, Louis, and I have virtually no energy left to fight. Harry would want to keep me alive for as long as he could, and that's just not possible. You can't tell him. You have to promise me." 

 

"I can't - " He began. 

 

"I  _trust_ you." She said, pleading with her eyes. "I know you don't owe me a single thing, but Harry can't know. Not just yet anyway." 

 

He opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing what to say. "I - " He sighed. "I hate that you're putting me in this position." 

 

"But?" She asked. 

 

"But, I'll keep your secret." He sighed. He could already tell that this was going to impact his and Harry's relationship negatively. "But  _only_ if I can tell him before you fall seriously ill. I hate keeping him in the dark." 

 

Nora stood and smoothed her sweater down. "I know, dear." She rounded the corner and drew him into a stiff hug. "But really. Harry is very lucky to have found you." 

 

Louis sighed and closed his eyes. That would all soon change when Harry found out. 


	35. Chapter 35

Louis was sliding lunch on a plate for Harry just as the older man walked into the kitchen. He had Atticus in his arms, telling Louis that either his hearing was going so bad that he didn't hear the baby crying or that Harry had just gotten home and that was when Atticus decided to cry. Either way, he was glad that he got to keep his arms to himself for a little while longer. 

 

"That was strange." Harry said, balancing Atticus in the crook of one arm while expanding the other to take his plate. 

 

"What was?" Louis asked, busying himself with sealing up the leftovers. The kids would eat them for dinner that night. 

 

Harry sat and dug in, careful not to drop crumbs onto Atticus. "My Nana. We had a weird conversation." 

 

Louis snorted. "You think  _you_ did. You should have heard ours this morning." 

 

"That's sort of what we talked about." Harry replied. "She told me that she's judged you harshly and she wasn't aware of the stress it was causing me. She apologized and actually congratulated me on finding such a person." 

 

"I got basically the same thing." Louis answered. The thought of not telling Harry that his grandmother was dying weighed heavily on his mind. Should he honor his word to a woman who just one day ago didn't acknowledge his presence in Harry's life? Or should he tell Harry the truth and save their marriage the inevitable heartbreak? He'd kept a secret from Harry before, at Des's request, and that alone almost broke the camel's back. 

 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Harry asked, breaking Louis out of his own mind. 

 

"Huh?" Louis asked, snapping back to reality. 

 

"You looked lost in thought." Harry said. "Anything on your mind?" 

 

Louis made a split-second decision, and shook his head. "No." He smiled convincingly. "How's lunch?" 

 

"Perfect." Harry complimented. "Then again, anything you make is perfect." 

 

"I'm glad you like it." Louis said, abandoning the leftovers. He sauntered over to where Harry sat and dropped into the seat beside him. "Because it's what's for dinner tonight." 

 

Harry laughed. "I could have guessed." 

 

-

 

 Louis could never truly understand the bond between Ollie and Theo. They shared a womb together, came into the world practically holding hands, and were pretty much inseparable. Since their birth, Louis has read up on twins and the way the interact, which is completely different than how they act with their other siblings. With one, you get the other. They're never far apart. 

 

So Louis was surprised one morning when he heard Theo scream bloody murder from somewhere in the house. Harry had taken Ollie and Lucas with him on a quick errand, leaving the rest of the kids with Louis. 

 

He abandoned his task and headed straight upstairs, where the screams got louder. He pushed the door to Bean's room open and saw his oldest child and two daughters leaning over a screaming Theo, who was gripping his arm. His  _twisted_ arm. 

 

"Baby!" He gasped, dropping to his knees. "What happened?" 

 

"He was jumping on the bed." Olivia answered.

 

"And he fell off!" Bella added, looking worried. Theo was her favorite brother. 

 

"Oh, my sweet boy." Louis pulled Theo gently into a sitting position. He wiped Theo's tears and assessed his arm. "Baby, can you stand? I need to take you to the hospital." 

 

Theo shook his head and cried out. "No, Mummy!" He wailed, reaching for Louis with his good arm. 

 

Louis' heart absolutely broke and he stood, picking up Theo. "Beanie, please put your coat and shoes on. Go and help Archie get his on. Girls, do the same. I want you all out in the garage by the car in one minute. Got it?" 

 

The three children standing in front of him nodded and ran off. They understood that it was not time to play, it was time to listen. Louis carried Theo downstairs and wrapped a thin blanket around his shoulders. It was cold outside, being nearly the end of November, but Theo's arm was turning a nasty purple and he was  _not_ about to put a coat on it. 

 

He managed to get Atticus into the baby carrier and covered up with a blanket while holding Theo. As he carried both his heavy child and heavy car seat out to the attached garage, he wished there was an award for what he was doing. 

 

"Ready?" He asked as he locked the door. The four kids nodded and Bean directed everyone into the car. Louis was so proud of him. He even helped buckle Atticus up. He would have to remember to give Bean an extra treat for being so responsible. 

 

He buckled Theo up and made sure he was comfortable before getting in himself and starting the car. He barely waited until the garage door was up before backing up. He dialed Harry as he neared the end of the drive, watching as the garage door went back down. 

 

"Hello?" Harry answered, sounding a bit frantic himself. 

 

"Harry, listen, I need you to meet me at the hospital. I have all the kids and I think Theo broke his arm, and - " 

 

"Wait," Harry interrupted. "What?" 

 

Louis paused. "I think Theo broke his arm." He repeated, turning off of their street. He made sure to go a bit over the speed limit. He couldn't handle Theo's small whimpers anymore. They were breaking his heart. 

 

" _Fuck_." Harry said, sounding distant. "Baby, I'm on my way to the hospital too." 

 

"Thank you - wait.  _Too_?" Louis asked. 

 

"Yes, this is the weirdest thing." Harry said. "But Lucas and Ollie and I were walking down the sidewalk on Grant Avenue when Ollie slipped. I think he broke his arm too." 

 

Louis had to take a moment to process what Harry had just told him. " _What_? Are you joking?" He asked. "Please tell me you're joking." 

 

"Not at all." Harry answered. "But listen, we just pulled up to emergency. Call me as soon as you get here." With that, he hung up. 

 

Louis slid his phone between his thighs and exhaled slowly. He was  _definitely_ drinking later. He looked in the rear view mirror at Theo, who was sniffling quietly. "Baby, we're almost there. I promise, love." 

 

And he was right. Two more turns and a stop sign later, they were parking in the emergency parking lot. It seemed that everyone jumped into action then. Bean unbuckled himself and helped Bella, while Olivia wiped Theo's tears with the princess glove she was wearing. Louis unbuckled Atticus' car seat and hooked it on his crooked elbow. He lifted Theo into his free arm and they made their way quickly into the automatic doors. 

 

Inside, Harry was standing next to a doctor, one arm crossed and two fingers over his lips. It was his classic pose. He did it all the time when he was in serious conversation with someone, and the look on his face meant business. He let his eyes wander briefly and landed on the rest of his brood walking in. He excused himself and hurried over to Louis, taking the baby carrier off of his arm. 

 

"Thank you." Louis breathed, using his free hand to better support Theo. 

 

The doctor Harry was talking to approached them. "Is this the other one?" He asked, already pulling his glasses out. He moved the blanket aside and inspected Theo's arm. Though he was in pain, Theo let him. 

 

"Well?" Louis asked. 

 

"It's definitely broken." The doctor deduced. "But we'll take x-rays to confirm a clean break, okay?" 

 

"Of course." Louis nodded. He kissed Theo's cheek. "Okay, baby, this nice doctor is going to take you back and they're going to take a picture of your arm, okay? Then he'll stop the pain." 

 

Theo nodded, and when a nurse wheeled a small gurney over, he allowed himself to be placed on it. He waved with his good arm as they wheeled him away. The doctor promised that it wouldn't take long at all. When they were out of sight, Louis let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. 

 

"So, Ollie broke his arm too?" He asked. He was having a hard time believing it. "At the same exact time Theo broke his?" 

 

Harry nodded and shrugged. "It seems so. But, I've given up on trying to figure out their weird little bond." 

 

Louis had to agree. "My poor babies. They must be so scared." 

 

"Actually, Ollie said he was excited to wear a cast." Harry informed him. "So maybe he'll try to cheer Theo up." 

 

"I just can't believe it." Louis tried to wrap his mind around it. He simply couldn't. "I guess we'll never know, though." 

 

"No," Harry agreed. "We can just hope they they stop breaking bones in synchronicity."

 

-

 

 Two hours later, Ollie and Theo were sitting in the restaurant booth next to each other, comparing their little casts. Ollie was proud of his blue one, and Theo was admiring his green one. Louis couldn't help but watch with nothing but love and fondness in his eyes. 

 

"Boys," He said to them. "Do you want dessert?" 

 

"Baby, their dinner hasn't even been served yet." Harry reminded Louis. After the hospital, Harry and Louis decided that eating out for dinner would end the night on a positive note. So, Harry thanked his driver and sent him home and then they all went to dinner. 

 

Louis shrugged. "They've been through a lot today." Louis justified. He was just about to crack open the dessert menu when the waiter wheeled a cart of food over to their table. He closed the menu, temporarily forgetting about dessert. Everyone else at the table suddenly became very focused on the overwhelming plates of burgers and fries. The twins especially, who had their eyes on the tall, frothy chocolate milkshakes. 

 

The waiter served everyone their meals and with a tip of his head, he left them to eat in peace. Louis made quick work of cutting the twins burgers into fourths, and making sure Archie's was completely cut into bite sized pieces, fries included. After he was done making sure no one would choke, he sat back and watched his children dig in. There was no doubt in his mind that everything would be cleared in twenty minutes. His children would definitely go to bed with full tummies tonight. 

 

"Do you think the pharmacy has gotten the prescriptions yet?" Louis asked Harry, taking one of his fries and dipping it into the ketchup on Harry's plate. He chewed on it and watched Harry swallow. The attractive way his Adam's apple moved should  _not_ be turning him on. 

 

"Probably." Harry answered. "The doctor sent them in a little over forty minutes ago. They're probably ready right now." 

 

"Good." Louis nodded. "I don't want the twins hurting tonight." 

 

"They shouldn't." Harry assured him, looking over at Ollie and Theo. "They're tough." He grimaced when Ollie dipped a piece of his hamburger into the whipped cream on his milkshake and ate it. 

 

"Yeah, they are." Louis sighed fondly. "I love them." 

 

"As do I." Harry agreed. "Now, eat your food. I want  _all_ of my babies full tonight." He leaned in closer and pressed his lips against the shell of Louis' ear. The simple action made goosebumps appear all over his skin. "Because when the kids go to sleep, you. Are. Mine." 


	36. Chapter 36

The music was playing, the lights were untangled, and the ax was polished and ready to cut: It was Christmastime at the Styles' house. Being a true Christmas baby, Louis was decked out in his best and brightest Christmas sweater and was singing along to every song his Christmas playlist selected. He truly loved Christmas, and he loved that his babies loved it. 

 

The only thing he didn't love was living with a Scrooge. Harry was stressed out beyond belief at work and it seemed that he was bringing it home with him every night. It was completely against Louis' better wishes, but he wanted to keep the peace, and he and Harry knew how to pick at each other until there was a fight brewing. So, he kept to himself and brought down boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations from the attic. 

 

The kids were helping too, in anyway they could. They were putting off bedtime, and Louis, though he knew, let them get away with it. He had seven kids to help him schlep boxes of ornaments and lights. He loved his kids, and especially loved having them do things for him. 

 

On his fifth trip down from the attic, he paused at Harry's office door and opened it. Harry was standing next to his desk, holding his phone to his ear. He was frantically shuffling through some papers, eyebrows furrowed. 

 

"Harry," Louis said, propping the box against his hip. He leaned against the door frame and waited for a response. "Harry," He said again after a few moments. 

 

Harry finally glanced up at him. "What?" He asked, putting his hand over the receiver. Then, he removed his hand and began speaking into the phone. "What? No, no. Go on. I'm not seeing the problem here. See, you keep saying that but - no. No. No we will not." 

 

"Harry," He said again, impatiently. 

 

Harry hid the receiver again. "Can you shut up for a second, please?"  

 

Louis was taken aback, but said nothing. He stared at Harry in what he thought was a threatening manner before stepping out of the room and closing the door. He muttered to himself about Harry being a dick as he walked down the steps. He got all of his anger out before joining the kids in the den. He doesn't want to have to explain to his kids what a dick was. 

 

He and the kids spent a good solid hour and a half on setting out the decorations and making a space for the tree they were going to cut down that weekend. When it hit eight o'clock, he couldn't push it any longer. If he wanted to wake them up tomorrow, they had to go to bed that instant. He left everything out and herded the seven of them upstairs. 

 

Bedtime was a slow affair, but a lot quicker with a firm hand and a threat of calling Santa Claus. It worked like a charm and twenty minutes later, he was closing Archie's bedroom door and making his way to his bedroom. As he passed Harry's office, he could hear him talking in an aggravated tone. He just rolled his eyes and kept going. Normally, he'd slip into something sexy and wait on the bed if he knew Harry was stressed out. He was always ready to be Harry's stress reliever. 

 

Instead of doing that, he simply slipped into a pair of yoga pants and one of Harry's worn t-shirts. He knew an outfit like that turned Harry on more than a skimpy negligee ever did. Whatever Harry's reaction though, he wasn't going to give in. He was simply going to ignore Harry. 

 

-

 

Forty minutes later, the bedroom door opened and closed. Louis, who was laying on his stomach, reading a magazine, ignored him completely. It lasted about four seconds. The bed behind him dipped, and then there were two large hands on each cheek. He rolled away. 

 

"I'm sorry." He said monotonously, turning the page of his magazine. "That's only for my husband." 

 

"I am your husband." Harry reminded Louis, flexing his fingers. He was getting ready for another grab. Louis' arse looked simply delicious in the pants he was wearing. Harry's mouth was watering. 

 

"Really?" Louis asked. He sounded as if he was waiting to have the conversation all night. Harry prepared himself. "My husband would  _never_ tell me to shut up." 

 

"Yes he would." Harry corrected, grabbing a handful of Louis' bum. "But he'd feel really sorry and try to make it up to - " 

 

"Shut up." Louis interrupted. He was trying to make a point. 

 

" - make it up to - " Harry began again. 

 

"Shut up for a second." Louis mocked, rolling over to look up at Harry. He had a mischevious gleam in his eyes. 

 

Harry narrowed his eyes and squeezed Louis' bottom in his hands. Louis squealed. "As I was saying," He began again. "Your husband would feel awfully bad, and he'd want to make it up to you as soon as he could." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "And you know this slimeball? You know that he'd be sorry?" 

 

Harry nodded seriously. "Oh, yes. And, I know he loves," He spread Louis' thighs and settled between them, nudging his crotch against Louis' bum. "Eating arse." 

 

"Oh?" Louis cocked his head in an ornery manner. "Does he?" 

 

Harry nodded and ground his hips down. He'd been half-hard all day, simply thinking about Louis, but unfortunately he'd been stuck with the hassle of business calls all day. But he was free and nothing could stop him. "He does. And he loves treating you like a princess. He loves making love to you all night." 

 

"Does he?" Louis asked, grinning. "Is he going to prove it? Or do I have to rely on you to show me?" 

 

"Well," Harry looked over at the closed bedroom door. "He's pretty busy. He sent me instead. I hope I'm sufficient enough." 

 

Louis shrugged and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "I guess you'll have to do." 

 

-

 

"Atty," Louis cooed, bouncing around the room with his newest baby in his arms. He stepped around boxes of Christmas decorations and glared at Harry. "Your daddy is the worst. He is so mean to mummy." 

 

Harry huffed from across the room and stood upright. He had been hunched over for the past twenty minutes trying to figure out how to keep cords off of the ground. Archie was a chewer. "Seriously." He deadpanned. "Why am I mean this time?" 

 

Louis sniffed and turned his nose up. "Because you won't give me a definitive answer on getting the Christmas tree tonight." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes and planted his hands on his hips. "The kids get out of school at three, and by the time we pick them up and drive into the city to the Christmas tree farm, get the tree, and get back, it'll be too late to decorate it." 

 

"No it won't!" Louis exclaimed. 

 

"Yes, it will. You know how the kids are. They never agree on anything,  _especially_ the tree. We'll be in the snow all night. I don't want you or Atty to catch a cold." 

 

"What about our other children?" Louis shrieked. He looked down at Atticus. "Did you hear that, baby? Daddy doesn't care  _at all_!" 

 

"Okay, honestly, how much caffeine have you had today?" Harry rubbed his forehead. 

 

"None." Louis giggled. He sat Atticus down in his bouncer and sauntered over to Harry. "How about I make you a deal." 

 

Harry raised an eyebrow and glanced down at Louis. "That depends." 

 

"How about....if we go and get our tree tonight, you can do some naughty, nasty things to me when the kids go to sleep." 

 

"As opposed to any other night where I do nasty, naughty things to you?" Harry asked. "Your attempt was good, but it's not going to work. Do you know how tired the kids are going to be?" 

 

Louis hummed. "That's why we let them stay home from school tomorrow." 

 

Harry's eyebrows almost shot off of his forehead. Education was very important to him, and he wanted to instill that same love for learning that he had in his children. "No." He said firmly. "Absolutely not. We can wait until Friday." 

 

Louis pouted. "That's two days away!" He whined. "Please? We should have already had our tree up!" 

 

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry baby. The answer is no." 

 

Louis huffed and turned on his heel. He walked away from Harry and picked Atticus up. "Fine. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put our son down for a nap, and then I'm going to slip into something thin and revealing and get that  _big_ vibrator out. It's  _much_ more satisfying than anything I've ever received." 

 

Harry watched Louis go with a low growl. He knew a challenge when he heard one, and Louis' words were in fact a challenge. He abandoned his Christmas lights and stalked after his fit little spouse. 

 

-

 

"I don't know how you manage to get your way," Harry said hours later. "But you do. All. The. Time." 

 

They were laying in bed, both naked and slick with sweat, and completely sated. Their chests were heaving and their hearts were still beating a mile a minute. Louis had an incredible ache in his bottom, and yet it was so satisfying. He closed his eyes and pressed his bum back against Harry's naked crotch. He felt Harry's cock give a little twitch of interest and he smiled to himself. 

 

"Just lucky, I guess." He giggled. 

 

"Luck has nothing to do with it." Harry said, pulling Louis' body even closer to his. He ran his fingertips over the smooth expanse of Louis' skin. "You get your way because you married a weak man. Someone who would do anything for you." He pressed a kiss to Louis' shoulder. "Someone who hates to see you upset." Another kiss. "Someone who will take care of you until the day they die." 

 

"Someone who can't let a simple comment about their abilities in bed go." Louis said, giggling once more. 

 

Harry growled lowly and bit Louis' shoulder gently. "You challenged my ability to satisfy you. How could I let that go?  _Nothing,_ " He reached down and pressed two fingers to Louis' wet hole. "Can please you more than I can." 

 

Louis mewled. He was torn between pressing against the fingers or pulling away. He was weak, and he pushed back against them. He could never resist Harry's long, thick fingers, especially when they were pressing inside of him. 

 

"Am I right?" Harry asking, pressing his lips to the shell of Louis' ear.

 

Goosebumps appeared on his skin and he exhaled deeply. "Yes." He groaned when Harry crooked his fingers. 

 

"That's what I thought." Harry shifted until Louis was underneath him once more. "Now, I'm going to fuck you again, and then we're going to go pick up our babies and get our tree." 

 

-

 

"This is ridiculous." Harry huffed, shifting in his seat. "This thing is a boat." 

 

Louis glanced at him from the seat next to him. "It's fine, Harry. It has to be big if it's going to fit all of us." 

 

"I just don't see why I can't drive." He looked around at the luxurious interior of the vehicle they had all piled into. 

 

"Well," Louis flipped open the pamphlet advertising the Christmas tree farm they were going to. "When you go and get yourself almost killed, you don't get to drive anymore." He had long since stopped reacting negatively whenever he spoke about the wreck that almost took Harry's life, but he still refused to let Harry get behind the wheel of a car. 

 

"We need to talk about that." Harry said seriously. 

 

Louis looked over at him. He nodded. "Okay." He agreed. "We can talk tonight." 

 

Harry reached over and grasped one of Louis' hands in his. He squeezed. "Thank you baby." 

 

"Mummy? Can I pick out the Christmas tree?" Lucas called from the back seat. 

 

"We've already discussed this, baby." Louis answered, eyes flitting across the pamphlet. "You all have to agree on a tree or daddy and I get to pick it out." 

 

A collective groan came from the back seat and Louis smiled. He turned to Harry, and his eyes were twinkling. "Is it bad that a little part of me wants them to disagree on a tree so that we can pick one out?" He whispered, grinning. 

 

Harry shook his head. "No. I've been thinking that since Bean was one." 

 

Louis laughed. "I'm crossing my fingers that they don't agree." 

 

-

 

Surprisingly, the children agreed on a tree within the first forty minutes of walking through the rows and rows of snow-covered pines. They always seemed to find the perfect tree, year after year, and this one was no different. The perfect height, the perfect width, a beautiful green color, and no animal nests inside of it. Louis was proud to see them all get along as they chose it. 

 

It was cut down by Harry and dragged through the snow by Harry, with the help of Bean, Lucas, and Archie, who mainly stumbled around in the snow, laughing hysterically. The twins were content to eat handfuls of white snow and sit underneath the branches of a particularly large pine. 

 

When it was strapped to the car, they all piled back in and headed away from the farm. Louis gave Harry puppy-eyes until Harry finally relented and had the driver stop for burgers and fries. Six to-go bags later, they were headed home. 

 

The driver, bless his heart, helped Harry take the tree down while Louis herded everyone inside and got them settled with their food. After Harry thanked the driver and tipped him handsomely, he joined them in the kitchen. 

 

The topic of conversation was decorating the tree, and each child had a twinkle in their eyes, and they ate as quickly as their little stomachs could handle. Louis could only agree with their excitement. He felt as much love for the holiday season as his children did. 

 

"Slow down, babies." Harry said to them all. "The tree will still be there when you're - " 

 

"Finished!" Lucas cheered, pushing himself away from the table with a screech. One by one, in quick succession, each of his siblings did the same, abandoning their empty food wrappers to scamper off into the den. 

 

Harry closed his mouth and looked over at Louis. "Can you believe - " 

 

Louis pushed his chair away from the table too and ran off to join the fun. 

 

Harry exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. He was living in a house full of crazy, ridiculous people. But he loved him, so he did what any sensible father and husband would do - he pushed his chair back and went to join his family. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever start calling Bean HJ? 
> 
> Nah


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I posted on my twitter (@therealhappily - in case you wanna follow ;) ) that I would not update until after Christmas, but after thinking about it, I've gotten this story on the timeline I want it to have (finally!) and want to keep it up. So, that being said, this chapter includes Jay (already written before her passing). It's a brief part, but it will lead up to more chapters with her in it. I've kept this chapter short, but if you're not ready to read about her yet, then please skip this chapter. 
> 
> So, this is dedicated to the wonderful, loving, amazing, beautiful Johannah Deakin.

Louis slipped from Archie's room and closed the door behind him quietly. It had been hell, but all children were asleep and he was ready to get laid. He padded down the dark hallway and entered his and Harry's bedroom. Harry was already laying on his back in bed, wearing nothing but tight black briefs that left little to the imagination. 

 

"Ooh," Louis closed the door behind him. "Hi there, big guy." 

 

"Are you speaking to me or my cock?" Harry asked dryly, eyes not moving from the cell phone he was scrolling through. 

 

Louis joined him on the bed with a small bounce. "I'm speaking to whoever gives me what I want." He answered with a giggle. He reached over and grabbed the thick outline of Harry's cock. 

 

"Whoa there." Harry grabbed Louis' wrist. "Not until we talk." 

 

"About?" Louis raised an eyebrow, giving Harry's bulge a squeeze. 

 

 Harry squeezed Louis' wrist in retaliation. "Me driving." He  answered, sitting up. 

 

Louis exhaled and moved to sit in a cross-legged position. "I changed my mind. I don't want to talk about it." 

 

"Baby," Harry maneuvered himself so that he was sitting in front of Louis, hands on the opposite's knees. "I know you went through a lot when I had my wreck - " 

 

"Harry, I don't think you do." Louis interrupted. "I thought you were dead. I thought I would have to bury you and raise seven children by myself. I'm  _still_ not over it." 

 

"I know." Harry acknowledged quietly. "I hear you sometimes at night. I know you're still having dreams about it. That's why when I hear you, I wrap you up real tight in my arms and I hold you there. I know what the wreck did to you. That's why I updated my will as soon as I was coherent enough. You don't have to worry. If anything happens to me, you get everything. The house, the cars, my half of the business, all of our money, everything." 

 

"That's not what I meant, Harry." Louis bit out. "I don't want that. I want you. I would rather have you walk through that door every night than to visit your headstone once a week." 

 

Harry grinned. "Louis Styles, are you trying to tell me that you love me and not my money?" 

 

Louis shoved him. "You dope. Of course I love you." 

 

"In all seriousness, tell me why I can't drive. If it's the possibility of me getting into another wreck, then you can't drive either. I don't know if you're safe on the road, either. Car wrecks happen all the time, unfortunately." 

 

"It's not that." Louis answered. "I sent you out that night, and it was raining. I had a bad feeling but I sent you out anyway. I can't help but feel responsible." 

 

"You are  _not_ responsible. The piece of shit who decided to drink and drive is responsible." Harry said firmly. "And I offered to go. You needed lemons." 

 

"I could have done without." Louis said. 

 

"The point is," Harry squeezed Louis' knees. "It wasn't my fault and it wasn't your fault. If you were scared of me dying, then you'd never let me leave the house. You'd never let me cook, because I could start a fire and die. You'd never let me clean, because I could inhale a toxic chemical and die. I'd never be able to walk down the stairs because I could trip and break my neck and die. I could never get in the bathtub because I could drown. Anything can kill me, but I'm still here." 

 

"I know." Louis shrugged weakly. "But when the police officers showed up at the door, every single fight we've ever had just flooded my mind. It was all I could focus on. And my last words to you were for you to stay at a hotel because I was so mad at you." 

 

"Baby, it's no secret we fight like crazy. I, for one, think that it makes the sex so much hotter." Harry grinned at him. "But listen to me.  _Nothing_ can take me from you. Understand?" 

 

"I guess." Louis shrugged again. He hated talking about death or anything related to Harry dying. Harry was his heart and soul and he needed him to breathe. He sighed loudly. "I guess you can drive." 

 

"As a reward, would you like to come with me tomorrow to buy a new car?" Harry asked politely, getting up on his knees. 

 

"How is that a reward for me?" Louis asked, leaning back. He was allowing Harry to hover over him. 

 

"Who else would I fuck in the backseat?" 

 

-

 

Louis stared at the rows and rows of luxury vehicles and sighed. They would be at the car lot all day at the rate they were going. Harry liked to look at every single vehicle that caught his interest. He liked to get inside and sit, stretch his legs out, check out the interior. It was mildly frustrating to Louis, who would rather be curled up at home, out of the snow. 

 

"Harry," He whined slightly. "You're not going to buy a car, so why are you looking at them?" 

 

"I might buy a car." Harry informed him, leaning down to look at a beautiful car's tires. "Something shiny and sleek." 

 

"Something that only fits one person." Louis grumbled. "I don't know if you know this, but we have a thousand kids." 

 

Harry glanced up at him with a silly face. "Relax, baby. I'm just browsing." 

 

"Yeah, well," Louis shivered and pointed to the family vehicle section. "Browse over there. I'm freezing." 

 

Harry stood upright and walked over to Louis. He hooked an arm around Louis' shoulders and kissed his temple. "Remind me why I brought you?" He asked airily, directing them to where Louis had pointed. 

 

"Who else would you fuck in the backseat?" Louis mimicked Harry's words from last night. 

 

"Ah, yes." Harry nodded. "How could I forget? Whenever I promise you something and you don't get it, you're always gagging for it." 

 

"Shut up." Despite the cold weather, Louis' cheeks grew hot. And with a suppressed giggle, he thought that those cheeks weren't going to be the only hot ones.

 

"How about that one?" Harry pointed to a cream-colored Rover. It was beautiful.

 

"Let's go look at it." Louis decided. He usually only liked black vehicles, but there was something about the cream colored one that he liked.

 

"Drivers and passengers seat, two captains chairs in back, two rows of three." Harry read, glancing over at Louis. "Think it'll do?"

 

Louis chewed his lip. Then, he shrugged. "Atticus is in a car seat, and the rest are in booster seats. There's no way for me to get back in the very back and help them strap in."

 

"They can do it themselves. Put Atticus in one of the captains chairs, and Bean can sit next to him. The twins and Lucas can sit in the first row, and the girls and Archie can sit in the back." Harry said. "Problem solved."

 

"No," Louis shook his head. "Problem not solved. Archie likes to sit next to Lucas. So it would have to be Bean and Atticus in the front seats, Lucas, Archie, and Bella in the first row, and the twins and Olivia in the last." 

 

"The girls like to sit together, though." Louis remembered. He tapped his chin as he thought. 

 

Harry exhaled exasperatedly. "It doesn't matter. Do you like this one?" 

 

Louis looked at him in surprise. "Why are you asking me? It's your vehicle." 

 

"Yes, but I want you to like it. You may have to drive it." Harry explained. 

 

"What's wrong with mine? Everyone fits into perfectly. Get your car, or your truck, or whatever. I'm freezing cold." Louis glanced around the surprisingly busy car dealership. The only difference was that everyone else was inside. "Can we get tacos after this? I'm starving." 

 

"Cold  _and_ starving? Well, fuck, baby, they're going to think I neglect you." Harry hooked an arm around Louis' shoulders and pulled him close. "We can go in a minute. I've made up my mind." 

 

"Oh, really?" Louis quirked a brow and looked up at the sky. It looked like it could snow any second. "Thank you! Thank you!" 

 

Harry cut him off with a smack to the bum and a kiss to the temple. " _Go."_

 

-

 

It was a good thing that they'd have a driver take them to the dealership, because Harry drove the brand new car he'd bought, and Louis drove the brand new SUV. It was also a good thing that they had a large driveway and a four car garage. Granted, it was mostly filled with junk, but still fit the three cars they had snugly. When Louis parked, after following Harry's tail with a frantic and erratic heartbeat, he made sure to squeeze Harry around the middle. 

 

"I was a nervous wreck, you dick." He said, words muffled by the fabric of Harry's coat. 

 

Harry's chest rumbled with a chuckle. "Sorry, baby. Let's go get dressed so we can get our tacos."

 

Louis tilted his head up and blinked at Harry. "Oh. We're going back out?" 

 

"Yes," Harry nodded, leading them inside of the warm house. "And I'm going to drive again. So go and pop a pill or drink a glass of wine and calm down." 

 

"You're the worst." Louis sniffed, stepping over Pancake and Duke, who were sprawled across the kitchen floor. He addressed them as he passed, "He is  _mean_ , babies. Your daddy is  _mean_." 

 

"Shame," Harry called after him. "Cause you're so lovely." 

 

In the foyer, away from Harry, Louis rolled his eyes. "Dammit." He sighed. "He's going to get laid tonight."

 

-

 

Their bellies were full of tacos and all sorts of Mexican foods when the mood quickly turned sour. They'd just reached home, excited to have the house to themselves for the night, and Harry was headed upstairs, with Louis hot on his heels. He had paused when his phone rang in his pocket, standing on the tenth step. It was his mother.

 

"Mum?" He answered. "Slow down, what are you saying?" 

 

On the other end, she took a deep breath. "Dan's firm closed for good. He was given two weeks salary, but -" She cut herself off with a sigh. 

 

"Oh. They didn't give a reason? They can hardly take people's jobs away without explanation." Louis told her. 

 

"No, sadly, they can. No other firm is hiring until after the end of the year, and with Christmas coming up, and bills, I don't know what we're going to do." She sounded so desperate and Louis hated to hear that. 

 

"Everything will be fine, mum." He chewed on his lip and glanced at the top of the stairs. Harry appeared and put his hands on his hips. A curious look was on his face. "I'll talk to Harry - " 

 

"Louis, don't." She said. "We don't want you two to worry. We've got a bit of money saved up, I just wanted to tell you. The kids will be so disappointed this year at their presents." 

 

"You don't have to buy them anything, mum. I've told you that." Louis reminded her. "Your presence is present enough." 

 

"Nonsense," Jay said. "They're my only grandbabies. I have to spoil them." 

 

"Harry spoils them enough, trust me." Louis said. He took another look at Harry, who had joined him on the tenth step. "But don't worry, we'll figure something out. Okay, I love you too." 

 

He hung up his phone and slid it into his back pocket. 

 

"What's up?" Harry asked. 

 

Louis sighed. "The firm where Dan works is closing permanently. Mum's just worried about Christmas and bills and stuff." 

 

Harry frowned. "How much do they need?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "Oh no. They don't need a handout. Mum specifically said that she didn't want us to worry." 

 

"I'm going to worry. How much do they need?" Harry asked again. "Are they in debt?" 

 

"I don't think so." He can't ever remember his mother speaking about any debt they might have accumulated. 

 

"I'll call their bank tomorrow and check." Harry nodded. He was already planning things out. 

 

"Harry,  _no._ My mum said -" 

 

"I love your mum, I really do, but if they are struggling and we have the ability to help, then I'm helping them." Harry said. He pulled out his phone and shot off a text message. "Okay, so the bank is checking on it." 

 

Louis lifted a brow. "You text our bank?" Sometimes Harry just amazed him. 

 

Harry gave him a lazy, crooked smile. "Sure do." 

 

Louis' brow quirked. "And do they text back?" 

 

Harry nodded. "Yup." 

 

Louis shoved Harry weakly and took a step. "You're so weird. I'm calling the Council and telling them that you're so weird and I don't want you anymore. They're going to take you back to the pound." When he reached the top of the stair, he turned around and stared at Harry. He felt very much like a queen surveying their subjects. He liked it. 

 

"Not if I call them first." Harry retorted, making his way up to Louis. "And I'm going to tell them how you make me wank because you haven't put out in  _years_ , and how you put a little bit of arsenic in my breakfast, and how you pluck strands of my hair out every night to make a voodoo doll." 

 

Louis made a face and drew back. "You've thought about this. No one thinks of these things off the top of their heads. Harry Styles! You are weird!" With that, he took off running down the hall. He giggled and sped up as he heard Harry's thundering steps behind him. He reached their bedroom door and pushed it open. 

 

He collapsed onto their bed and barely had time to roll over before Harry was on top of him. 

 

"Got you." Harry whispered hotly in his ear. 

 

"Got me." Louis giggled breathlessly. He opened his thighs and Harry slotted right between them. He  _belonged_ between them. 

 

Harry reached up and brushed his knuckles down Louis' soft cheek. "Always got you." He murmured. "Always gonna have you." 

 

Louis nodded. He wrapped his legs around Harry's waist and hooked his arms around Harry's shoulders. "Always." He promised. Harry was always going to have him. They were always going to have each other, for the rest of their lives. And he was damned excited about it. 


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short 
> 
> hope everyone had a merry christmas tell me what you got as presents please

It was four days before Christmas and the Styles' household was in full Christmas spirit. Bells were jingled, halls were decked, and snow was falling. Their Christmas tree was decorated and shining brightly. Duke and Pancake had taken up permanent residence underneath it, amidst the presents that were stacked. The fireplace was housing a warm, crackling fire, and the whole house was warm. 

 

The kids were off of school for break, and they were helping Louis bake and bake and bake. The kitchen was the busiest room in the house, aside from Harry's office, where he was called into several emergency phone conferences over the past few days. Louis didn't mind, because Harry hadn't been in a bad mood yet. 

 

"Beanie, help Archie with that frosting. We don't need a repeat of last year." Louis directed, keeping his eyes on Archie, who was a little generous with the frosting and sugar cookies. 

 

Bean giggled and left his own finished cookie to help his younger brother. "Not at all." Last year, Louis had stepped away from the kitchen for  _one moment_ , and Archie had decided to shampoo his hair with red, white, and green frosting. It was a bitch to get out in the bath. Louis was combing frosting out of his curls for hours. And of course, he couldn't rely on Harry, who laughed and took pictures of a giggling Archie in the bath, and an angry Louis standing in the water behind him, comb in hand. 

 

Louis wiped his hands on his apron and walked over to the oven. He checked on the next batch of cookies. This year, they were making a ton and giving them out to neighbors and coworkers of Harry's. 

 

"How do they look, mummy?" Lucas asked, frosting his own cookies with detail. He was a little perfectionist. 

 

"They look great, love." Louis answered, grabbing an oven mitt. He pulled the cookies out and sat them on the counter. "We'll just let them cool for a bit and then they'll be ready to go. Liv, Bella, how's it going?" 

 

From the table, Olivia and Bella both held their thumbs up. 

 

"Good." Olivia answered, tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth in concentration. 

 

"We're almost out of red." Bella told him. "And we're trying to make Santa hats." 

 

"I'll whip you up some red in a second, love." Louis promised. 

 

"I can do it." Harry said from the doorway. Louis turned. He looked stressed out, and his hair was thrown into a messy, haphazard bun. He looked worn down, but there was a smile on his face. 

 

"Daddy!" Archie bellowed, abandoning his cookies in favor of slithering out of his chair. He ran up to Harry and threw his arms around Harry's leg. 

 

Harry bent down and lifted him up. "Hiya, bug. Having fun?" 

 

Archie nodded. "Oh yes!" He confirmed. He pointed to the messy counter. "Makin' cookies!"

 

"I see that." Harry nodded, observing the stacks of cookies, and the tubes of frosting, and the cans of sprinkles. It was a delicious looking mess. "Can I help?" 

 

Archie nodded. "Help me!" He giggled wildly, clapping his hands. It was no secret that Archie was the one to always have help. 

 

Harry glanced over at Louis. "Alright if I help with this one?" He asked, already sinking down into the chair Archie previously occupied. 

 

"Of course." He began dropping some food coloring into a bowl of frosting he made earlier. "Everything okay with work?" 

 

Harry nodded.  "Just swamped beyond belief." He answered. "I have to go into the office tomorrow and conduct a teleconference. Shouldn't take too long." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrow and carried the bowl over to the girls. "How's  _too long_?" He asked. 

 

Harry shrugged and helped Archie smear some frosting onto a cookie. "If it helps, Liam will be there." 

 

"Ah, good. Liam Payne. Proper family man." Louis laughed. He stood behind Harry, who pouted. Louis dropped a kiss onto his red lips and giggled. "As are you. I know you won't stay long. Cause you know my birthday is coming up." 

 

"Ah, yes." Harry sighed. "Time to spoil you some more. You're gonna bankrupt me, love." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes fondly. "Whatever." 

 

"Not for another few hundred years." Harry assured him. "You'll be sucking money out of me for a good while." 

 

Louis leaned down and pecked Harry's cheek. "Not the only thing I'll be sucking out of you, love." He whispered in Harry's ear. He made sure to keep it quiet, as Bean and Lucas were now at the age that they could put the pieces together as to what Louis and Harry were doing. 

 

He heard Harry swallow hard and he giggled as Harry tucked his hand behind his back and squeezed Louis' thigh. He made sure to put the appropriate amount of pressure, just enough to put a hitch in Louis' breath. He  _loved_ having that affect on him. 

 

"Be good." He murmured lowly, eyes darting up to Louis' face. In the kitchen light, his green eyes sparkled like a thousand tiny emeralds. Louis was captivated, and glad that the majority of his children inherited those eyes. 

 

"For now." Louis compromised, dropping another kiss to Harry's curls. He stepped away, feeling the thick lust they seemed to be in dissipate. He clapped his hands and approached Bella and Olivia, who were now licking frosting from their fingers. "Now, are these cookies done? And please tell me that you haven't touched them with your little fingers. These are for the McDougal's, loves." 

 

"We're done." Bella answered him, sliding down from the chair. She continued to lick the frosting as she waiting for Olivia to do the same. "Can we go play now?" 

 

"Wash those hands. If I see frosting on  _anything_ outside of this kitchen, I'm calling Santa and telling him to skip this house." Louis warned, eyebrows raised. He had cleaned his house from top to bottom, and he'd be damned if it got messy again before Christmas. 

 

"We will!" Olivia shouted, scurrying off. Bella followed her. The threat worked magic on them. 

 

With a triumphant smile, Louis turned back to his boys. "Now, who wants to help me wrap these up and deliver them?" 

 

-

 

Christmas Eve was the most important day of Harry's life. Before he got matched and married to the absolute love of his life, the twenty-fourth of December was just another day. Sure, it was the night before Christmas and there was a certain feeling to the air, but he never thought twice about it. Now, it was Louis' birthday, and he considered it to be the most important day of the year. 

 

Christmas Eve was now filled with laughter and love. There was a certain magic in the air, all created by a short boy with sparkling blue eyes and melodious laughter. And because of that, Harry made sure to spoil Louis and give him whatever his little heart desired. He made sure to plan the best birthday's ever for his darling boy, and he liked to think he did a damn good job of it. 

 

After spending a lazy day inside with the kids, passing around birthday presents and eating their fill of cupcakes, Harry had Louis slip into something nice and took him out. They were at the nicest restaurant in London, holding hands over a small, circular table, covered in a white tablecloth and decorated with a single candlestick. It was romantic. 

 

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Harry asked, over the quiet hum of the restaurant. 

 

Louis smiled and his eyes sparkled. "Just once or twice." He said, blushing. 

 

Harry squeezed Louis' hand. He rested his thumb over Louis' beautiful wedding ring. "Because I do. I love you more than anything. I was put on this planet to love you." 

 

"Harry," Louis giggled. "If you keep talking like that, I might think you might like me or something." 

 

Harry grinned. "I do. Just a bit." 

 

"What brought all of this on?" Louis asked, untangling his hands from Harry's when he spotted the waiter coming towards them. He placed his napkin in his lap as the waiter sat down their dishes. 

 

"Enjoy." The waiter said with a small bow. Louis watched him go, then looked back at Harry. 

 

"Well?" He asked, pulling his plate towards him. 

 

"Well what?" Harry asked, doing the same with his napkin and plate. 

 

"What made you say those things?" 

 

"Why wouldn't I say them? I love you so much it hurts me. It's like my heart is filled to capacity, yet every time I look at you, it fills just a bit more. I love you from my head to my toes." Harry answered, staring at Louis so intently. 

 

"If your accomplishment is to get laid tonight," Louis began, cutting up his steak. "Congratulations." 

 

-

 

Louis sighed as Harry traced the scar on his lower stomach. It was the faintest pink scar from his c-section births, and he was no longer self conscious about it. He couldn't be, after the way Harry loved to kiss it. 

 

"Did you have a happy birthday?" Harry's low voice rumbled through the room. 

 

"I still have," He turned his head and glanced at the clock. "Well, never mind. It's past midnight. No more birthday." He pouted. 

 

Harry ran his fingers up and down Louis' thigh a few times before pulling the blankets around them. He made sure to tuck Louis in nice and tight. "Shit. After midnight. The kids will be waking us up in a matter of hours." 

 

"Think if we locked our door it would stall them for longer?" Louis questioned, glancing over at their closed door. All he had to do was lock it, and they would be guaranteed at least five hours of sleep. 

 

"Incessant pounding wouldn't be very relaxing." Harry said. "Might as well sleep now and be tired when they open their presents." 

 

Louis sighed and curled up next to Harry. He loved the way their bodies molded together. He was convinced that they were made for each other. No one could tell him otherwise. They were compatible in every way, shape, and form. "Might as well. D'ya want me to wake you up with a Christmas blowie or no?" 

 

"If I get hard again, that won't be necessary. I'll fuck you again." Harry said, already feeling his cock twitch at the mention of a blowjob. Louis was exceptional at oral pleasure. He was surely grateful. 

 

"You can't fuck me if I'm asleep." Louis yawned. His eyes slipped shut, and he became aware of just how tired he really was. He hoped that the kids slept past eight, but it wasn't likely. They liked to get up around five on Christmas day. The earlier, the better, in their minds. 

 

"You're right." Harry kissed Louis' bare shoulder and tucked himself in tighter behind Louis. With one last check to the blankets around them, he nestled his head behind Louis' and closed his own eyes. "Goodnight, baby. I love you." 

 

"I love you too." Louis mumbled, slipping into sleep. 

 

Harry wanted to reply to that with a  _love you more_ , but it would be lost on Louis, who was so close to dozing that he wouldn't hear. But it was okay. Harry showed it. He showed Louis everyday how much he loved him. And he would always love him. 


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in honor of Banani Trash Jungleworms blocking me on twitter lmfao

Harry glanced down at the tired child in his arms and held them a bit closer. The den was a clutter of wrapping paper and toy boxes. The fire was crackling and the dogs were dozing quietly next to it. The tree was casting a comforting, magical light across the room, and it was truly a peaceful day. 

 

"Daddy," Lucas curled up further into Harry's arms and closed his eyes. 

 

"Yes, love." Harry stared down at his second-born son. Though Lucas was getting older, he still loved his daddy with his whole entire heart. Harry was confident that he'd never grow out of that stage. He hoped not, at least. 

 

"I'm tired." Lucas replied quietly. 

 

"Me too, love." Harry agreed. "But mummy is almost done making Christmas dinner. We can eat and then get you to bed, how does that sound?" He pressed a sweet kiss to Lucas's forehead. 

 

"I won't be tired then." Lucas reminded Harry. "It always happens." 

 

"Well then, we'll just all have to stay up and watch movies." Harry suggested. "That's the only compromise I can think of." 

 

Lucas grinned, eyes still closed. "Okay. I'm going to nap now. Goodnight, Daddy." 

 

Harry kissed Lucas's forehead once more before standing. He placed his sleeping child onto the couch and stepped away after tucking a blanket around him. He meandered around his other children and into the kitchen. 

 

"Something smells good." He commented. 

 

Louis straightened up from where he was putting the turkey in the oven again. He closed the door, wiped his hands on his apron, looked around, and beckoned Harry forward with the wave of one finger. 

 

"What?" Harry asked when they were in close proximity. When Louis wound his arms around Harry's neck, Harry did the same to his waist. "Not that I'm complaining." 

 

"Just wanted to give you a little Christmas kiss." He grinned up at Harry. "Been hard to do with everyone running around." 

 

"Mm, I agree." Harry ducked down and sealed their lips together. Kissing Louis was something he would never tire of. No kiss of theirs was the same, either. There were soft kisses, and rough kisses, and sleepy kisses, and kisses that meant  _I love you_ and kisses that meant  _I'm sorry_. There were kisses that said  _I'm still angry at you_ and kisses that said  _I forgive you_. 

 

Louis sighed into the kiss and his whole body relaxed into Harry's. It was like the day melted away, and his main focus at the moment was the hot press of Harry's lips against his. It was magnificent. 

 

After a few more moments, Harry broke away with a squeeze to Louis' bum. "As painful as it is for me to stop kissing you," He said. "When are the parents coming?" 

 

Louis glanced behind himself at the clock. "Should be getting here pretty quickly." He answered, turning to face Harry. "Too bad we can't sneak away for a quick shag." 

 

Harry's eyes flitted to the laundry room, and then over to the kitchen entry. He listened to the sounds of his children's loud laughter and grinned down at Louis. "I think we could." He grabbed Louis' hand and began walking to the laundry room. "Is the turkey good?" He asked. 

 

Louis nodded. "Turkey's great." 

 

-

 

"Harry,  _hurry_. If my parents come in while you're -  _oh_ \- putting your cock inside of me, then I'll  _scream_." Louis whispered above the loud tumbling of both the washer and dryer. He was braced against the dryer, wearing absolutely nothing. Harry had one hand on his back so that it was arched, and he felt the cool air on his hole. It was mildly arousing. 

 

"Patience, baby." Harry said from behind him. "You'll get my cock soon enough." As the words were spoken, he pressed the blunt head to Louis' hole and watched it get swallowed up. 

 

Louis let out a moan worthy of a porn Oscar and arched his back even more. 

 

"You're greedy." Harry grunted, grasping Louis' hips. He bucked himself all the way in and stood there, letting Louis adjust to his size and girth. He watched as Louis' hole tightened around him. He could watch it all day. 

 

"I'm  _horny_." Louis corrected breathlessly. 

 

"I'll fuck you good." Harry promised. "Always do." 

 

" _Always_." Louis mewled. He flexed his fingers against the smooth, warm surface of the dryer and sighed when Harry's cock hit just the right spot. After that, he had to hold on tight. Harry had found his rhythm and he had no mercy. 

 

Harry was good at quick fucks. He made sure to make them feel like they lasted hours instead of minutes. His one and only priority was that Louis felt the most pleasure he could from them. He made sure to fuck Louis right; the way he deserved to be fucked. 

 

"Add a finger - " Louis gasped. "I'm close - Harry - " 

 

"Sh," Harry soothed. "You'll get to come." He was close, too.  _So_ close, but Louis was first. Always first. "Come without touching yourself." 

 

" _Harry_ \- " Louis' legs were beginning to get shaky and his face was hot. He was sure he looked like a hot mess. His own cock was hard against the dryer, bumping up against it with every thrust from Harry. 

 

"Baby -  _relax_." Harry muttered, trailing a finger down Louis' slick spine, all the way to where his cock was going in and out of his little hole. The thought of sliding his finger in next to it made him even harder, and he almost came as he nudged his long finger inside of Louis. 

 

When it was all the way in, Louis let out a whine and came, completely untouched. He slumped against the dryer and whimpered as he felt Harry's come pumping inside of him. He almost cried when he felt Harry slip out, but seconds later, his cheeks were being spread wide open and he felt Harry's warm tongue lapping away at his hole. 

 

" _Harry_ ," He whined. "Don't wanna come again." 

 

"You won't." Harry flexed his fingers against the smooth skin of Louis' cheeks and suctioned his mouth around Louis' hole. He fucked his tongue in and out, eating all of the come like it was his last meal.  _Well, that's what I would want it to be_ , he thought. He could see it, sitting on death row, being asked for his last meal request: "My husband's arse, please." 

 

He pulled away, pressing a kiss to the fluttering hole. He stood, knees cracking, and turned Louis around. Their arms wound around each other and they snogged messily against the dryer for a bit, until Louis' legs stopped shaking completely. 

 

Harry helped gather Louis' clothes up off of the laundry room floor and handed them to his spouse. He helped slide Louis' panties on, then his jeans, then the sweater he was wearing. When Louis was good, he dressed himself. 

 

"I can't believe I had to start a load of laundry just so we could fuck." Louis giggled, watching Harry's chest as Harry slid on his long-sleeved v-neck. "Now I'll have to be in and out of the laundry room all day." 

 

"No you won't." Harry said, shaking his curls out. He needed to get a haircut. 

 

"Yes I will." Louis flexed his fingers. "Can I put your hair up?" 

 

"Of course." Harry nodded, pulling the hair tie from his wrist. He handed it to Louis and crouched down. "Don't make me look silly." 

 

"You do that pretty well on your own." Louis informed him, gathering up the hair. He twirled it up and twisted the tie around the bun. "There. Beautiful." 

 

Harry stood back to his full height. "Perfect. Now I match you." He winked at Louis and unlocked the laundry room door. 

 

"Cheesy, just cheesy." Louis blushed, elbowing past Harry. When they were back in the kitchen, they were relieved to find that nothing was on fire, no one had been kidnapped, and nothing had been stolen. It was a win-win. 

 

"What do you need help with?" Harry asked, walking over to the little bar area Louis had set up. He poured himself a glass of wine and sipped. 

 

"Well, first of all, you're drinking my wine. Second of all, the potatoes need mashed. Everything else will be finished when the turkey is." Louis answered, assessing said bird with a thermometer. 

 

"And that would be..." Harry drawled, stepping over to the bowl of potatoes. He sat his glass down and was not a bit surprised when it was immediately swooped up by Louis. He could only grin and shake his head. 

 

"About an hour. That's why I made appetizers." Louis mumbled. "Eat those. I didn't make them for  _decoration_ \- " 

 

Harry pressed his front against Louis' back and ducked his head down. Pressing his mouth to Louis' neck, he said, "I guess I didn't fuck you good enough, then?"

 

His voice was low and it sent a chill down Louis' spine. Despite that, Louis pressed against him, his body seeking the comfort that Harry's provided. 

 

"Shall I take you back in there and try again?" He suggested, planting a wet kiss to the side of Louis' throat. 

 

Louis' pulse jumped. "Only if you think you can accomplish it in ten minutes." 

 

"He can't." A voice said from behind them. They both jumped and swiveled around, hearts beating. It was Anne. "I know my son. I've  _heard_ my son before. He can't do anything in ten minutes, let alone whatever you two were discussing." She knew very well what they were discussing, she just chose not to think of it. 

 

Behind her, Jay appeared, looking radiant. "What were they discussing?" She asked, stepping past Anne to get to Louis. 

 

"Uh, nothing." Harry answered, dropping a quick kiss to her cheek before walking to his mother. 

 

"Right." Louis agreed. "Hi, mum! You all are here early! Where's Dan and Robin?" He hugged her tight, basking in the light, fresh scent of her perfume. 

 

"Getting the bags." She answered. She pulled away from him and drifted to where the appetizers were laid out. "These ready?" She asked, already grabbing things to eat. 

 

"Yes, mum." Louis answered. Now that the parents were here, everyone would expect to eat soon. He grabbed the mixer and the bowl of potatoes, ready to mash. 

 

"Hey now." Harry said from behind him. He crowded up against Louis and wrapped his hand around Louis' wrist. "Just what do you think you're doing? This is my job, you know." 

 

"I know," Louis nodded. "But I figured it would be easier if I just did it." 

 

"It would be easier if you just went and relaxed." Harry corrected. He patted Louis' bottom with his free hand. "Go and let our babies show you their new toys." 

 

Louis bit his lip at the mention. "I ran right in here when they were done opening presents. Did they seem mad?" 

 

"Why would they be mad?" Harry looked at Louis like he was crazy. "They got what they wanted." 

 

"Yes, but we didn't get them very much." Louis reminded him. 

 

"I know. They knew that they weren't going to get everything they wanted. That's why we came up with the rules." Harry said. Louis didn't want his babies growing up spoiled, so he sat them down and told them to think of the  _one_ thing they really wanted. Just one. When they had their lists, they got each child what they asked for, but also clothes, and shoes, and books. Stuff that would last them a long time, or a life time. 

 

"They were happy?" Louis looked up at Harry. He tried his hardest to be a good mum. He wanted to know that he was going a good job. 

 

"They were ecstatic." Harry promised him. "Now, I want you to go and enjoy it with them. Let  _them_ tell you how much they love it." 

 

So, Louis left the busy kitchen and went to sit with his babies on Christmas. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the reason this is short is because my laptop's charging thing is broken (again- third times the charm) and i have 24% battery left. i wanted to get this out before it died completely and then I'll see if I can fix it. If i cant, then I have to buy a new one, so we'll see how long that takes. meanwhile, enjoy!


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR foreshadowing here. Comment if you've guessed what I've got planned!!! Also, fuck ao3 right now for not saving my shit.

It was the day after Christmas, and unfortunately, Styles and Payne Global was busier than ever. Much to Louis' dismay, of course, but as he was walking out the door that morning, Harry promised that he'd be home by four. It was nearing the hour already and there was still so much work to be done. 

  
So much, in fact, that he decided to take a little break. He was pouring himself a drink when his office door opened and closed with a slam. It was Liam, and Harry watched as he dropped himself onto the couch with a loud sigh. 

 

He poured another glass of bourbon, somehow guessing that it would be needed. He walked over to his friend and handed him the drink. He watched as Liam downed it in one go. 

 

"Everything okay?" He asked, perching himself on the corner of his desk. 

 

"No." Liam answered hoarsely. 

 

"What's wrong?" Harry grew concerned. Liam looked exhausted. 

 

"Niall's Christmas present to me was a positive pregnancy test." Liam said quietly. 

 

"Oh, hey! That's great!" He cheered, leaning forward to clap Liam on the shoulder. 

 

"It's not." Liam disagreed. He sat his glass down on the coffee table in front of him and stood. "I'm not excited. I mean, I am." He paused and looked at Harry. "I'm excited because it's a baby,  _my_ baby, but I'm not excited, because that means  _four_ babies. How am I going to handle four kids?" 

 

Harry stared at Liam with a blank expression. "How ever will you manage?" He deadpanned. 

 

"Oh." Liam realized. "You have eight. I forgot. How do you manage?" 

 

"Well," Harry began. "It's tough. But some things are easier than others. Like, for instance, we have the financial stability to raise eight children comfortably. But it's hard to manage time between each child.Every night, Louis and I go to bed thinking that we've neglected a child somehow." 

 

Liam began pacing once more. "We planned all of our kids." He explained. 

 

"That's why you're so freaked out, then." Harry decided. "Because you didn't have time to expect this one." 

 

"Were any of yours planned?" Liam asked, sitting once more in the chair. 

 

"Bean was not, Lucas was. I can't remember with the twins, but if they were planned, then only one of them was. Olivia was planned, Bella was not. Archie was not and Atticus was not." Harry ticked them off of his fingers. 

 

Liam stared at him in awe. "You think so clearly. My brain is scrambled just from three kids." 

 

Harry chuckled. "I've learned to just roll with it." 

 

Liam got quiet all of a sudden. He kept his focus on his empty glass. "I just don't know how to be excited." He finally admitted. 

 

Harry stood and took Liam's glass. He had a feeling that the conversation would need more alcohol. He filled their glasses and handed Liam his. He sat down in the armchair beside his friend and took a sip. Then, he began speaking. "I remember when I first found out Louis was pregnant with Bean. It was the best and worst day of my life."  

 

"How was it the best?" Liam asked. 

 

"I'd just found out that Louis was pregnant. I had done the one thing in the world that makes a man feel the proudest he'll ever feel. I had created a child with the person I loved most in the world." Harry answered. 

 

"And the worst?" Liam asked, though he had some sort of idea why. He and Niall had lived with Harry and Louis during that time. It wasn't fun for anyone. 

 

Harry sighed and leaned back. He took another sip. "He was scared to tell me." He looked at Liam. "He was so fucking scared of what I would do. Of what I would say. He was about twelve weeks, and he'd only just found out." He shook his head. Guilt flooded his body when he remembered. "He was planning on keeping it a secret until Bean was born. That's how scared he was." 

 

"I remember." Liam nodded. 

 

"And we were fighting when he told me. I can't imagine what he was feeling, knowing he was pregnant, carrying that baby and not being able to share his happiness. We - I - I hurt him when we fought and he threatened to leave me. Said that he wouldn't bring my baby home to me. It killed me, but you remember how much we fought." 

 

Liam nodded. "It was bad." 

 

"Right. But that night, when he had left to sleep in the guest room, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about that little baby inside of him. Half him, half me. I found myself wishing right then and there that they would have his eyes. I wanted them to be just like him. He was perfect, and I wanted that carried on. I started thinking of names, and then I realized, why was I so scared of having kids?" 

 

He glanced at Liam. "But it wasn't so easy for me. We could hardly be in the same room as each other. Both of us, we wanted to be near each other so badly, but my pride. My damned pride." 

 

"You were a dick back then." Liam agreed. 

 

Harry rolled his eyes but smiled. "Anyway, we never communicated. That was our biggest struggle. We would scream at each other instead of sitting down to talk. I neglected him in favor of work, and in return, he iced me out." 

 

Liam nodded. "I remember. He spent many nights with crying with Niall." 

 

Harry looked pained. "I know. God, I'm still surprised to this day that he's still with me. I hurt him so badly." 

 

"I know." Liam said. 

 

"We fought when he went into labor. But it was different. Something had shifted. I can't explain it, but at the hospital, when I was still so mad at him but  _not_ mad, you know, because he was in the midst of having my baby, something changed. And when I held Bean, Liam, I swear to God, when I held that baby in my arms, my whole entire life felt complete. I had just witnessed the love of my life bring my child into this world and something inside of me changed." 

 

He took another sip of bourbon. "Obviously, we still fought. But our communication got better.  _So_ much better. Now, we tell each other everything. He's my best fucking friend, no offense. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for him." 

 

"How is that supposed to help me?" Liam asked, frowning. 

 

"Because, if you don't sit down and tell Niall how you're feeling, you could end up like me and Louis." Harry answered. "And I don't want that." 

 

Liam nodded. "I understand. Thanks, Harry." He drained the rest of his drink and sat the glass down. "I guess I'd better get back to work." 

 

Harry stood and shook his head. "Nah. Take the day off. Take Niall out. You two need to talk." 

 

Liam stood, and pulled Harry in for a hug. "Thanks. I needed to talk to someone." 

 

Harry clapped Liam on the back. "Now I know how Louis and Niall feel. They talk all the time." He joked. 

 

Liam made an exasperated face. "No kidding. Louis knows more about Niall than I do." 

 

Harry laughed. "I'm sure that Niall knows more about Louis, so. We're just stuck in the dark." He walked with Liam to the door. "Don't forget what I said, either. I don't want you in the same place we were. It's a bad place, Li." 

 

-

 

Harry parked his car in their garage at four-fifty six. He exited, not even grabbing his briefcase, and made his way into the house. It was quiet, suspiciously quiet. He toed off his shoes and did a walk-through, eyes narrowed and ears alert. There were no screaming kids, no barking dogs, no meowing kittens, nothing. 

 

"Baby?" He called through the house. He came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs and called up it again. "Louis? Baby?" 

 

He waited a few moments, and then heard shuffling. Louis appeared at the top of the staircase, hair messed up and eyes squinted. He was wearing Harry's sweats and Harry's sweater, which were both so beautifully large on him. He was the epitome of cuddly. 

 

"You woke me up." Louis said grumpily. He rubbed at an eye with a closed fist and Harry's heart constricted. He bounded up the stairs and came to a stop in front of Louis. He cupped Louis' cheek and tilted his head up. 

 

"Sorry, baby." He apologized. He leaned down and pressed their lips together for a quick peck. "Let's go lay back down." 

 

It wasn't hard to get Louis to agree again, and they shuffled down the hallway, Harry's large hand splayed across Louis' back. In their bedroom, Louis resumed his spot on the bed and Harry laid down behind him. When they were all spooned up, Harry nuzzled his nose at the nape of Louis' neck. 

 

"Where are the kids?" He asked. 

 

"Shh." Louis answered. "If you ask that three times, they appear." 

 

Harry couldn't help but laugh. 

 

"Also, Atty is sleeping across the room, so if you wake him, I will literally kill you." Louis threatened lightly. 

 

"Sorry." Harry apologized, still grinning. "But seriously, where are they?" 

 

"Bean and Lucas are at Niall's. Lucas kept asking to go see Finn, so Bean tagged along." Louis answered. "The rest are with my mum." 

 

"How'd we manage to get the house to ourselves?" Harry asked. He was excited. Now they could have all the sex and be as loud as they wanted. He unbuttoned his pants and shoved his hand down the front of them. 

 

"If you've got your hand down your pants right now," Louis threatened. "Harry, we aren't having sex." 

 

Harry pouted. His hand stilled. "Why not?" 

 

Louis whined. He sounded miserable. " _Harry_ , I'm  _tired_. I don't want to have sex, I want to sleep." 

 

Harry pulled his hand out from his pants and began rubbing circles across Louis' back. "Hey, okay. We don't have too. Sleep baby. I'll get Atty if he wakes up, okay?" He nuzzled Louis' neck and kissed the bare skin. "Get your rest, baby."

 

Louis hummed, and to thank Harry, he wiggled his bum against Harry's crotch. 

 

Harry groaned. He was convinced Louis hated him.

 

-

 

"Niall is pregnant." Harry stated a few hours later. After their much needed nap, they made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Louis was nibbling on all sorts of bits while Harry rifled around for something to make. 

 

"I know." Louis answered, breaking a cracker in half. 

 

Harry paused. He turned to look at Louis with a quizzical expression. "Did he call you today?" 

 

Louis shook his head. "He told me when he first found out." 

 

"And when was that?" Harry asked. He closed the fridge and turned to paw through their drawer of takeout menus. 

 

"Mmm, maybe a week before Christmas." Louis answered. He fiddled around with the cracker box until he noticed Harry staring at him. "What?" He giggled nervously. 

 

"You knew for this long and you didn't tell me?" Harry asked. His voice was unattractively shrill. 

 

"What's the big deal?" Louis shrugged. He eyed the takeout menus in Harry's hand. "I want pizza." 

 

"No pizza for you!" Harry shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

 

"You've got a big mouth." Louis answered simply. 

 

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Wait, what? I do not!" 

 

Louis slid down from the stool he was sitting on and made his way over to Harry. "It's not a big deal. Niall just didn't want you letting it slip to Liam." 

 

"I wouldn't have!" Harry denied. He sat the menus down and put his hands on his hips. 

 

"Are you getting angry?" Louis asked. He put his hands on Harry's chest. "I didn't mean to make you angry." 

 

"Yes, I'm getting angry. I can be trusted." 

 

"I know you can, babe." Louis agreed. "Niall just asked me not to tell anyone." 

 

"And just how many times have you and Niall done this?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

"Why are you so angry?" Louis frowned. "It's not a big deal. I told Niall all the times I was pregnant." 

 

Harry froze. "What?" He asked quietly. 

 

"I uh," Louis searched Harry's surprisingly blank face. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, hoping to squeeze the anger out of him. "I told Niall all the times I was pregnant." 

 

Harry nodded for a long time. He was working through the thoughts that were running through his mind. "Who was the very first person to know every single time you were pregnant?" He asked after awhile. 

 

Guilt flooded Louis' body. "I only told Niall first with Bean and Atty." He said quickly. "That's it." 

 

Harry stepped back and exhaled slowly. Louis could feel the anger simmering between them. 

 

"Harry," He stepped forward. "Why are you getting so angry? I tell Niall everything - " 

 

"Why am I angry?" Harry repeated, voice booming. "I just am, Louis! I should have been the first to know for every pregnancy! I had a  _right_ to know first." He stepped back again, shaking his head. "Whatever. I'm going to go for a bit." 

 

Louis watched him grab his coat and keys and swiftly exit the kitchen. He jumped when the door slammed shut, and when the house was quiet once more, he sank onto the floor and put his head in his hands. It was not how he had planned their day alone to go. 

 

 


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brace yourselves

Harry was only gone for thirty-eight minutes. Not that Louis timed him, it was just that he had looked at the clock when Harry had stormed out, and he looked at the clock again when Harry stormed in. He was in the den when he heard the door slam shut. There was some shuffling around in the kitchen, and then Harry entered the den, looking angry. Louis had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't the searing kiss Harry pulled him into. 

 

With Harry's large hands cupping his face, Louis had no choice but to wrap his around Harry's torso. He absolutely melted into the kiss. It was one of those kisses that left him breathless, bending over backwards with the weight of it. 

 

When Harry pulled away, he kept his hands on Louis' cheeks. His eyes were dark and searching. 

 

"Harry, I - " Louis began breathlessly. 

 

"I love you." Harry interrupted. "More than anything. I understand why you told Niall first." 

 

"Only with Bean and Atty." Louis reminded him quietly. He fisted the front of Harry's shirt and tugged. "You were the first to know every other time. How could I not tell you first?" He tiled his head back and studied Harry's face. "You believe me?" 

 

Harry nodded firmly. "I do. You were scared with both pregnancies. Bean, especially. I had gotten you pregnant and then struggled with taking responsibility. I didn't want to admit it for a long time." 

 

"I know." Louis replied. "I'm sorry I never told you earlier. Please forgive me." 

 

Harry ducked his head down. "I do. I do, baby." He nudged his nose against Louis' cheek. "I picked up dinner." 

 

At the mention of food, Louis perked up. "What did you get?" He asked, releasing Harry's shirt. He smoothed out the wrinkles. 

 

"Pizza." Harry answered. "Hope you didn't change your mind on it while I was gone." 

 

Louis followed him into the kitchen. "Definitely not." He perched himself at the kitchen island and watched Harry rifle around in the cabinet. "Plates?" He finally asked, turning to Louis. 

 

"Sorry, I moved them." Louis slid from his seat and stepped around Harry. "Actually, what if we didn't use plates?" 

 

"Uh." Harry responded. 

 

"Just follow me." Louis grabbed the pizza box and left the kitchen. He sat down in front of the fireplace and crossed his legs. Harry joined him a few moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

 

"I like the way you think, baby." Harry complimented, popping the cork off. He poured the wine and handed Louis a glass. "Cozy." 

 

"Isn't it?" Louis asked, opening the pizza box. Just as he was about to lift a slice out, Atticus began crying. Louis glanced up at the ceiling and sighed. 

 

"Let me." Harry sat his glass down and stood. "Don't wait on me. Eat up." 

 

Louis shrugged and took a piece of pizza. He was hungry. So hungry, in fact, that he was nibbling on crust by the time Harry returned with Atticus in his arms. Though the baby wasn't crying, he looked fussy. He was refusing the bottle Harry had stopped to make him. 

 

"He's a bit warm." Harry said, sitting. "I think he has a fever." 

 

"Oh no." Louis wiped his hands on his pants and reached for the baby. "My sweet baby. What's wrong?" He cradled Atticus close to his chest and rocked him back and forth. "He is a bit warm." He agreed with Harry. 

 

"Do you want me to call Dr. Bowen?" Harry asked, taking a bite out of his pizza. 

 

Louis shook his head. "Not just yet. He hasn't gotten sick yet. I'll just keep an eye on him." 

 

"If he's like our other children when they're sick, it's going to be a miserable night." Harry commented. 

 

Louis nodded. "Sure will be. Especially for you." 

 

Harry frowned. "Why?"

 

"Because I was going to let you do nasty things to me." Louis replied airily. He gave Harry a wink. 

 

All Harry could do was groan. 

 

-

 

Louis had almost forgotten about Harry's Nana and the secret that she had trusted him to keep. Although when she'd first mentioned it, he had a hard time looking Harry in the eye for awhile after that. He struggled with finding the time and way to explain things to Harry, and by the time he'd realized them, it was weeks later, and too late to tell him. That didn't stop him from thinking it about it everyday, and everyday he told himself that it would be the day. 

 

Unfortunately, since he couldn't bring himself to ever find the time, it eventually found him. It crept up on him, months after Nana told him, and rocked his life in the worst way possible. 

 

He had gone the whole day in blissful ignorance, spending time with Atticus and Archie, and then the rest of his babies when they got home from school. At five o'clock, he was making dinner, kissing Harry on the cheek as he walked through the door, home from work. He served his babies their food, helping Archie eat while simultaneously holding Atticus, who was sick. 

 

He made a few curious glances at Harry from across the table, wondering why he was so quiet. Harry hadn't said a peep since he got home. Harry just stared back at him, calmly and coolly. It gave him a weird feeling. He shrugged it off and kept his focus on listening to whatever his babies were talking about. 

 

The evening passed quickly, and before he knew it, he was closing the door to Archie's room and creeping down the quiet hall to his own bedroom. Inside, Harry was standing calmly at his closet doors, wearing nothing but his black work pants. His back rippled as his lifted his shirt up to hang. It made Louis' mouth water. 

 

"How was your day?" He asked, closing the door behind him. "We didn't really get to talk much when you got home." 

 

"Got a phone call." Harry replied shortly. "Took up most of my focus." 

 

"Oh, yeah?" Louis asked. He removed his shirt and pulled on one of Harry's. "Another business venture?" 

 

"Actually, no." Harry answered. He turned to face Louis. "It was my Nana." 

 

Louis froze. Panic swept over him. His skin prickled. He swallowed. "Oh my god." He breathed. He grasped his t-shirt in his hands, folding it nervously. He glanced at Harry. His stomach rolled. "Harry - " 

 

"She just called to say hi, ask how things were." Harry interrupted. He closed his closet door. 

 

"Oh." Louis almost sagged in relief, but Harry continued on. 

 

"Told me that she was dying." Harry said nonchalantly. "Told me that you knew months ago." 

 

"Okay, Harry, wait a second." Louis tossed his shirt aside and almost tripped to get over to his husband. He tried to grab Harry's hands, but Harry moved them. 

 

"Why would she tell me that, Louis?" Harry asked curiously. "Why would she tell me that you knew months ago?" 

 

"I don't - I don't know." Louis answered meekly. 

 

"You're actually going to stand there and lie to my face?" Harry asked angrily. He stepped away from Louis, as if the thought of being near him was sickening. It made Louis nauseous. "After keeping this from me for  _months?"_

 

"I didn't know how to tell you!" Louis defended. 

 

Harry barked a laugh. It was loud and cold. "I find that hard to believe." 

 

"It's the truth!" Louis exclaimed. "How could I tell you?" 

 

"How could you  _not_?" Harry asked. He began pacing the room. He looked deadly, and if the circumstances were different, Louis would drop to his knees and and let Harry have his wicked way. But unfortunately, it was not the time. 

 

"Would you have believed me?" Louis asked him. "She  _hated_ me, Harry. Every chance she got, she insulted me and our babies! If I would have told you, you would have asked her, and she'd spin it around to blame it on me. I wanted to give it time. I wanted to see if - " 

 

"If she died? If she was telling the truth?" Harry spat. He looked angry, so angry. Louis remembered the only other time Harry was that angry, and it was when Louis was keeping secrets about his father. 

 

"I don't know! I just couldn't bring myself to tell you! She'd asked me to keep it a secret, Harry. She trusted me." Louis answered. 

 

"But you hate her! Why did you even agree to keep it? Because you knew it would hurt me?" Harry asked. 

 

Louis stepped back. "I would  _never_ hurt you, Harry! You should know that by now." He said shakily. "And I kept it because I thought it would be a fresh start for us. She came up to me before she left and apologized. She explained everything to me, Harry. We made amends." 

 

Harry snorted. "I would tell you!" He shouted. "The point is, I would tell you, and I thought you would do the same for me." 

 

Louis stepped forward and rested his hands flat against Harry's chest. "I would. You have to believe me. I would, Harry." 

 

"Obviously not. Now my Nana is dying and I don't know how much longer I have with her. I would have had more time if you would have told me when you first found out." Harry removed Louis' hands from his chest and stepped away. "I can't trust you." 

 

"Yes you can!" Louis pleaded. "You can trust me with anything." 

 

Harry shook his head. "You're a liar, Louis. I can't stand liars." 

 

Louis was quiet for several moments. He was frozen in shock. He looked up and watched as Harry opened his closet door. "What are you doing?" 

 

"I'm packing a bag. I'm going to go stay at the flat." Harry answered in a clipped tone. 

 

"What flat?" Louis asked, beginning to panic. 

 

"The one I bought."

 

Louis wracked his brain. Harry's flat? Harry had a flat? Oh. "The flat - the flat you bought  _years_ ago?" He asked. "You kept it?" His stomach sank. "Why did you keep it? You got it when we were about to divorce." 

 

"I figured I would need it. You know, if I stayed married to you. I'd always have a reason." Harry glared at him. 

 

Hurt washed over him, and his eyes actually filled with tears. "I can't - why would you say that? Why would you say that to me?" 

 

"Because, Louis," Harry tossed an empty bag on the bed and began filling it with clothes. "Maybe I want to hurt you. I want to hurt you like you hurt me." 

 

"I didn't hurt you intentionally!" Louis shouted. "Can you not hear? Are you deaf? I couldn't find the time or the words!" 

 

"How about, hey, Harry, your Nana is dying. She just told me a few minutes ago but I love you and thought you should know." Harry asked mockingly. "So what is it? Do you not love me?" 

 

"You - " Louis sat on the edge of the bed. Those words hurt. "Are you really asking me if I love you? You're questioning my love for you?" A few tears slipped out of his eyes and he wiped them away. 

 

"I am." Harry nodded, zipping his bag up. "Hurts, doesn't it?" 

 

"Me not telling you about your Nana and you asking me if I love you are two completely different things, Harry." Louis said shakily. He grabbed the bag out of Harry's hands and held it behind his back. "I love you more than  _anything_. I would die for you, Harry. You  _know_ that." 

 

"Your track record isn't very good. Give me my bag." Harry demanded. 

 

Louis' eyes flickered to the shirt Harry had haphazardly flung on. It was old and worn. It said  _First Time Daddy!_ on it in fun font, and there were balloons on it. It was blue. Louis reached forward and traced a few letters. 

 

"You got this when I had Bean." He said quietly. He looked back up at Harry. "You can't leave. I can't sleep without you next to me." 

 

The anger in Harry's eyes didn't lessen. "You've done it before." He replied coldly. 

 

"Atty is sick. Please don't leave when he's sick. You can sleep in here. I'll take the floor." He offered. Since their newest addition, the guest rooms were all converted to bedrooms. They really needed to revisit converting the attic. 

 

"You take the bed." Harry said, and Louis perked up. "Because I'll be sleeping comfortably at the flat." He reached around Louis and grabbed his bag. He turned on his heel and opened their bedroom door. Louis followed him down the hallway and down the stairs. 

 

"Wait," He said after Harry slid his coat and shoes on. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist in an un-reciprocated hug. "Please understand that I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to hurt you. I know I did, and I'm sorry." 

 

Harry said and did nothing, so he stepped back and wiped his eyes. He watched as Harry opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Out of habit, he followed. It was freezing outside, and there was snow on the ground, and he was wearing nothing but Harry's sleep shirt and a pair of panties. Yet Harry said nothing. Usually, he'd usher Louis back inside where it was warm. 

 

"I love you." Louis said, but either Harry didn't hear him, or ignored him, because it remained unanswered. 

 

 


	42. Chapter 42

Louis got absolutely no sleep that night. It didn't help that he'd spent almost two hours, calling and texting Harry, asking him to come home. He also apologized many times while doing so, but when the last messaged remained unanswered, and the clock hit three in the morning, he gave up. 

 

Of course, when he'd closed his eyes, ready to get just a few hours of sleep before everyone woke, Atticus began to wail. He had gotten up and tended to his sick two-and-a-half month old, willing the baby's fever to drop while doing so. He rocked Atticus, he walked him back and forth, and, at six thirty in the morning, made breakfast for the other children with Atticus. 

 

By the time they'd arrived downstairs, cozy in their pajamas, Louis was ready to drop. Of course, he didn't let that show, and plastered a happy look on his face as he served his babies a big breakfast. 

 

"Mummy?" Bean asked, nibbling on his toast. 

 

"Yes, love?" Louis replied, removing the jar of jam away from Ollie and Theo's grasp. That was a mess waiting to happen. 

 

"Daddy left last night, didn't he?" 

 

Louis paused and looked at his oldest child. A quick glance around the table told him no one was listening. "Bean, why would you ask that?" 

 

Bean shrugged and began sliding his eggs onto his toast. "I heard Daddy say he was going to leave. He's in his flat, isn't he? He hasn't left us for good, has he?" 

 

Louis' heart broke. Bean was way too young to be asking these sort of questions. "Baby," He began, eyes sweeping around the table once more. This time, Lucas was staring at him with the same curious look as Bean. "You never have to worry about that, okay? Daddy left because he was going to stay up all night working, and didn't want to interrupt my sleep." 

 

Bean looked skeptical, as did Lucas. 

 

"And that's all?" He asked, mildly suspicious. 

 

Louis nodded. "That's all. Now, eat your breakfast." He spoke at a normal level again, and addressed the rest of the table, "If you all finish what's on your plate, we'll do something special tonight for dinner. Okay?" 

 

"Okay!" They all chimed. He watched as Bean and Lucas ate their toast and eggs, and he watched Bella and Olivia and the twins ate bacon with jam-smeared toast, and he watched Archie nibbled on bits and pieces of everything. 

 

Though it was good that his kids were eating, his appetite, unfortunately, had diminished completely. He wanted nothing more than to help everyone get dressed and drive them to school, so he could call Harry once more. 

 

-

 

"Okay, so this is the last time I'll call, I promise." Louis said into his phone an hour and a half later. He had dropped everyone but Archie and Atticus off at school, and was now curled up with them both in his bedroom. He'd turned a movie on for Archie and dialed. 

 

"Um, Bean asked me today if you've left us for good, which obviously I denied. I mean, I did the right thing...I hope. Anyway, I guess he heard us last night so I just wanted to let you know of that, in case he asks you about it. I told him you had work to do and didn't want to bother me and Atty, so you left. I don't know if he expects you to be here tonight or not." 

 

He picked at a loose thread in their comforter. "I told them all today that we'd do something special for dinner tonight, so I mean, if you're home, your obviously welcome. Um, and even if you're not, you can still come." He looked down when Atticus whimpered in his sleep. "Atty's fever went up again. An even one-hundred. He's -" 

 

As if on cue, Atticus began to wail. It was piercing. As he shifted to sit up and hold Atticus, the phone fell onto the bed. He picked up the baby and rifled around for the phone. 

 

"I'm going to hang up and call Dr. Bowen now. Um, if it's real bad, I'll call you again. So, if you answer, I guess, you heard this message. If you ignore it, I'll know you're just ignoring me. Okay. So just please answer the next time I call. Bye. I love you. Bye." 

 

As he dialed Dr. Bowen, he muttered to himself, "Stupid. Of course he's ignoring you." He scowled to himself as he listed Atticus's symptoms to the doctor and didn't panic when Dr. Bowen instructed him to bring Atticus in. He simply hung up, and sprang into action. 

 

He rounded up Archie and slipped him into warmer clothes and shoes. He bundled Atticus up and grabbed his keys, and they were out the door. By some blessed accident, Harry had chosen to leave the car last night and take the SUV. It was much easier for Louis to strap his two boys in the car. 

 

The whole way to the hospital, he was a nervous wreck. It didn't help either that Atticus had thrown up all over himself just as Louis was turning into the emergency parking lot. He frantically looked around Harry's car for an extra change of clothes, which, bless his heart, Harry always kept. 

 

After dressing Atticus in a simple onesie, he covered him up with a blanket, grabbed Archie, locked the car, and headed for the emergency room. Inside, Dr. Bowen was conveniently standing by the desk, talking to a nurse. He jumped into action when he saw Louis. 

 

It didn't take long before they had their own room in the pediatric ward and Atticus was being diagnosed with viral pneumonia. Louis was terrified until Dr. Bowen informed him that it was the lesser evil of any other sort of pneumonia. 

 

With some sort of relief, Louis called Harry. "Okay, you didn't listen to my last message. I get it. But I took Atty to Dr. Bowen. He has viral pneumonia. He can go home, he just has to rest and we have to watch him closely. Dr. Bowen gave me a list of things to do. I'd really love it if you could go and get a warm mist and cool mist humidifier. I don't want to go anywhere but home after this. You don't have to stay, I just need the humidifiers." 

 

He hung up, and shot off a text to Harry.  _Atty has viral pneumonia. We're at the hospital but going home. Hopefully you won't ignore this like my calls._  

 

-

 

When Harry stepped through his front door an hour later, the house was relatively quiet. He could hear the television playing in the den, and crying in the laundry room. He dropped the two humidifiers he'd picked up onto the table and made his way to the source of the crying. 

 

He opened the laundry room door and flipped on the light. Louis was sitting against the dryer, holding Atticus, and they were both crying. Atticus's cries were more of pain. Louis' were more from exhaustion and stress. 

 

"Turn the light off." Louis sobbed. He had one hand covering his face. His shoulders were shaking. "The light bothers him." 

 

Harry flicked them back off and used the light from the kitchen to help him instead. He crouched down beside the two and reached a hand out. He began rubbing Atticus's hot skin. 

 

"Give him to me." He said gently, and had no trouble prying the sick baby from Louis' arms. He held Atticus with one arm and helped Louis up. "Go lay down." 

 

It was the push Louis needed to shuffle out of the laundry room and up to their bedroom. Harry watched him go, noticing the slump to his small frame. The exhaustion Louis radiated was not lost on him. 

 

"And what's wrong you with, my little love?" He turned his attention to Atticus, who was screaming his little head off. "I think we might need some steam to help us with that cough." 

 

He spent his whole afternoon with Atticus, taking care of him. They sat in the bathroom, surrounded by warm steam. They kept hydrated. They alternated between warm mist and cool mist. And at one-fifteen in the afternoon, Atticus's eyes slipped shut. 

 

He carried the sleeping infant upstairs and into their dark bedroom. He could barely make out Louis' figure laying on top of their comforter. He put Atticus into his bassinet and walked over to the bed. He leaned over Louis' sleepy form and tucked a blanket around him. 

 

With one kiss to the forehead, he left the room just as quietly as he'd came. 

 

-

 

Garbled crying woke Louis up some time later. He sat up in bed, trying to gather his bearings, when he remembered that Atticus was sick. He slid from his bed and went over to the baby, who was covered in vomit. 

 

"Oh, my sweet." He cooed, unsnapping the onesie. He pulled it off carefully and sat it aside. He then lifted the baby, who acted like he was starved for affection. "My little love. I wish it was me. I wish I was sick so that you weren't. But it's okay. Mummy's gonna make it go away. I promise." 

 

He was so busy cooing to and rocking Atticus that he didn't notice Harry standing in the doorway. He'd listened to Atticus's cries on the baby monitor and made his way upstairs, only to see that Louis had beaten him to it. It was more than okay, because he got the see beautiful moment in front of him. 

 

"Let me check his temperature." He finally said, stepping into the room. 

 

It startled Louis, who turned. "I guess I wasn't dreaming, then." He said. "You're back." 

 

Harry nodded. "Only to make sure my child gets better." 

 

Louis laid Atticus onto their bed and stepped back. "If you're insinuating that I can't take care of him, then - " 

 

"That's not what I said at all." Harry snapped. "Stop trying to start a fight." 

 

Louis was flabbergasted. "That's - you - I  _am_ not trying to start a fight." He said, mouth open in shock. "It's just the way you said it." 

 

Harry said nothing, and instead rolled the thermometer across Atticus's forehead. "Atty, baby, stop moving your head." He murmured to the squirmy baby. 

 

"He'll do better if I hold him." Louis elbowed Harry aside and picked up Atticus once more. The baby settled considerably. "There. Now try." 

 

Harry did the same as before, only this time in much closer proximity to the spouse he'd argued with not even twenty-four hours before. Neither of them said a word. 

 

"It's one hundred still." He said. 

 

"It was one-oh-one at the hospital." Louis informed him. "It's gone down." He turned Atticus to face him and began rocking him. "I wish it was me." 

 

Harry stood upright and tossed the thermometer onto the bed. "I'm going to check on Archie." 

 

"Thank you for letting me sleep." Louis said quickly. "I didn't get much last night." 

 

Harry stopped at the door, gripping the frame. "Like I said," He began. "I'm here to make sure Atty gets better. Not to talk to you, not to reconcile. After he's better,  I'm going to leave again." 

 

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but his words would fall on deaf ears. Sighing, he closed his mouth and looked at Atticus. "My baby. I'm so glad you don't understand what Daddy and I say." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing of pneumonia or how to treat it in infants. for the sake of fiction, pretend what I say is real.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont expect much cause this is short af

That evening, Harry and Louis kept their distance. If they happened to be in the same room together, then all that was heard was silence. They only spoke when it was related to Atticus, who was still very sick. Other than that, they did not speak. 

 

Of course, Bean, who was almost eleven, caught onto the rift between his parents and had no trouble choosing a side. When he sat down and thought really hard about it, he could remember other instances where his dad wasn't very fair to his mum. It made his decision easier. He stuck near Louis and offered a helping hand. 

 

"Baby, why don't you go help your daddy make supper?" Louis suggested quietly. He'd just gotten Atticus to fall asleep in his arms and didn't want to wake him. 

 

"No thanks." Bean replied honestly. He said it casually, without any malice or hatred towards Harry at all. He was just generally uninterested in helping. 

 

Harry, who was listening from his seat in the den, spoke up. "Come on, Beanie. You can ride with me to pick up the food." It was his small attempt at a joke. 

 

"I said, no thanks." Bean said again, sharper and louder. He shot Harry a glare, which stunned the older man. 

 

It shocked Louis as well, who gasped. "Harry Edward, don't speak to your father that way." He scolded. "All your Daddy did was ask you to ride along with him." 

 

"Yes, well, I don't want to. I don't want to spend any time with him at all." Bean turned his attention back to petting Atticus's head. He liked to think that he was the reason Atty was sleeping. 

 

"Beanie! Why not?" Louis asked. 

 

"Because." Bean shrugged. "Daddy is so mean. I don't want to be around him anymore." 

 

"Bean..." Louis began. "That's a horrible thing to say. Please apologize." 

 

Bean stood up and shook his head. "I won't apologize." He argued. "Not until Daddy apologizes to you." 

 

Louis glanced over at Harry, who was staring at Bean with a look on his face. Louis had never seen that look, so he had no idea what Harry was thinking. 

 

"Bean, that's something for your Daddy and I to worry about." Louis told his oldest child gently. "I don't want you to worry about anything like that, okay?" 

 

"It's not okay. Not when Daddy hurts you." He turned to Harry. "I wish you would leave and stay gone! I can take care of Mummy all by myself! I can take care of everyone by myself." He shouted before storming off. 

 

Louis watched him go in shock. He took several deep breaths before looking over at Harry. "Harry, oh my God. I - " 

 

Harry held his hand up and stood. He adjusted the cuffs on the shirt he was wearing. "I'm going to go pick up dinner." Was all he said. He walked out of the den with his head held high and his back straight. 

 

And when he was gone, if Louis cried a bit, then no one had to know. 

 

-

 

When Harry arrived home with the food, he deposited it onto the table and headed straight upstairs. Louis knew by the footfalls that he was in his study. He wanted so badly to go up there and talk to him, but he knew Harry would shut him out. It wasn't time for them to talk yet. 

  
So, he focused on setting everything out and feeding his family. He gave everyone their serving of fish and chips and nibbled on his own. His appetite had diminished since Bean's outburst, and when he looked across the table, it seemed that Bean had a hard time eating as well. He looked guilty. 

 

Later, as Louis cleaned up, he reminded himself to talk to Bean. He made quick work of cleaning and herded children to their respective activities. The two girls and the twins, too young for homework, went upstairs to play. Bean and Lucas, who had homework, settled at the kitchen table. Louis perched Archie in front of the television and sat next to Bean at the table. 

 

"Beanie," He began, glancing up at Lucas, who was scribbling away at his own homework. "Can I ask you why you were so rude to your Daddy earlier?" 

 

Bean sat his pencil down and looked up at Louis. It hurt, because he looked so much like Harry. Only he was more innocent, with wide green eyes and curls that fell in front of them. His skin was smooth, whereas Harry's had a dusting of facial hair and laugh lines; worry etched across his face from years of frowning. Bean was unaffected by the world around him, and yet he was so curious and observant. Sometimes, Louis ached for him. He wanted his child to  _be_ a child. Bean had years before he had to begin worrying about things. 

 

"I don't like hearing you two fight." Bean answered simply. "And I don't like it when he leaves. I don't like it when he yells at you, either. It's not fair." 

 

"Bean, you're not old enough to understand why Daddy and I fight." Louis explained gently. "When Daddy and I fight, it's because we love each other  _so_ much that we have to yell. Do you understand?" 

 

Bean shook his head. "No. I know the difference. The words you and Daddy say aren't nice. If I said those to Lucas, I would get in trouble." 

 

"He would." Lucas agreed, not even looking up from his homework. 

 

Lucas glanced over at Lucas, and then back at Bean. "Bean, I'm not going to explain this to you. You know that it was wrong to yell at your father. You really hurt his feelings when you said those things to him." 

 

"Yeah, well, he hurts my feelings." Bean retorted. "Daddy is supposed to be nice to you. He's not always nice." 

 

Louis inhaled slowly and tried to think of the words to explain to Bean. "Bean. Baby, my love, do  _not_ worry about that. I want you to focus on school, and your friends, and footie. Daddy and I fight. Daddy and I say mean things to each other, but we love each other. You'll understand when you love someone." 

 

Bean studied him for several moments. "I should apologize, shouldn't I?" He finally asked. 

 

Louis nodded. "You should. But you need to also explain to your daddy why you spoke to him like that." 

 

Bean grew worried. He shrank in his chair. "Will Daddy be mad at me?" He whispered. He still loved his daddy, no matter what, and he was still afraid of disappointing him. 

 

"Of course not, baby! Your daddy loves you. He won't get angry." Louis promised. 

 

Bean looked down at his homework. "Can I finish this before I go talk to him?" He asked quietly. 

 

Louis nodded and kissed his forehead. "Of course." 

 

-

 

Louis nibbled on red licorice and balanced Atticus in his arms as he paced back and forth outside of Harry's office, where Bean was. He could hear nothing through the thick wood of the door, but no one was yelling, so he took that as a good sign. 

 

"Well, baby," He murmured to Atty after fifteen minutes of pacing. "It's your brother's bedtime. Should I interrupt?" 

 

Atticus's response was to wail like a banshee. Louis glanced at the door quickly and hurried away. He didn't want to get caught lurking. He sped into his bedroom and closed the door, hoping to muffle the cries. 

 

"You almost ratted me out, silly boy." He scolded Atticus. "Your daddy almost caught me. You're trying to get me in trouble, hm? Well, let's just see what we can do to get you quiet again." 

 

For twenty minutes, he walked around the room, rocking Atticus, who gradually stopped wailing and fell asleep. Louis was lowering him into the bassinet when the bedroom door opened and closed. It was Harry, and he'd been crying. 

 

Louis stepped closer to Harry and played with his hands. "Well? Did he apologize?" He asked. Then, not waiting for a response, he continued. "He's so sorry, Harry. He hardly ate his dinner. He's really - " 

 

Harry held his hand up. "We settled it." Was all he said, and he skirted around Louis to the bathroom. 

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked, following him hesitantly. "Did you forget something?" 

 

Harry didn't stop, and instead began to strip. He tossed his shirt to the floor and shucked his pants off. Louis watched, not even remotely interested. At that point, he was more concerned with picking up the clothing from the floor. 

 

He knelt down to pick the clothes up, and he carried them to the hamper. 

 

"I'm staying the night." Harry answered, moments later. He walked over to the shower in all of his naked glory and slid the door open. He turned the water on and waited for it to heat up. 

 

"Why are you staying?" Louis asked. "I mean, it's your house, obviously, but you said - " 

 

"Bean asked me to stay." Harry answered shortly. He stepped inside of the shower stall. 

 

Louis' heart sank a bit. "Oh. You're not staying for me." He said quietly. 

 

"What?" Harry asked loudly. The spray of the water was deafening almost. 

 

"Nothing." Louis spoke up. "Just finish your shower." 

 

-

 

Louis had just put the last blanket down on the little bed he made on the floor when Harry stepped out of the bathroom, followed by a cloud of steam. He was wearing sweatpants, and from the way they hung, no underwear. He made his way to the bed and sat down on it. He took his time, fluffing his pillow, making sure the clock was right, and plugging his phone in. 

 

In the time it took him to do all of that, Louis had laid down on the floor and closed his eyes. Between him and Harry not speaking and Atticus's illness, he was bone tired. 

 

"What the fuck are you doing?" Harry's voice broke through the silence. 

 

"Sleeping." Louis muttered, completely uninterested. 

 

"Like hell." There was some shuffling around, and then Harry was standing right over him. "Not on the fucking floor." 

 

Louis sighed. "It's fine. You take the bed." He said. "I can sleep on the floor." 

 

"You're not sleeping on the floor." Harry demanded. 

 

"You're technically the guest," Louis reminded him. "You get the bed." 

 

Harry was fuming. " _You_ get the bed. In any time, any situation, any lifetime, you get the fucking bed." He crouched down and yanked the blankets away from Louis' frame. Ignoring the shouts, he slid his arms under Louis and lifted him up. "It makes me feel like fucking scum when you say things like that." 

 

"Like what?" Louis asked, bewildered. He had no idea what to think. 

 

"Like you don't fucking deserve the bed. You're perfectly content to sleep on the  _floor_ when you should be sleeping on solid gold. It just makes me sick." Harry growled. He deposited Louis onto the bed. "Do you not fucking comprehend what you deserve?" 

 

Louis stared at Harry in shock and confusion. Had Harry gone mad? "Harry, I don't - " 

 

"The mother of my children comes first." Harry ranted. "You get the fucking bed, do you understand?" He leaned closer to Louis. "Do you?" 

 

Quietly, Louis nodded. He was a bit scared to say anything. He'd never heard Harry curse so much at once before. 

 

Appeased, Harry sat back and nodded. "Good. Now, just go to sleep." He sighed and looked away from Louis. 

 

"If you want," Louis said, moments later when he'd situated himself. "You can sleep up here too." 

 

"I was planning on it." Harry answered roughly. His voice sounded muffled. "Just...just go to sleep." 

 

He sounded so defeated. Louis turned to look at Harry over his shoulder, and his heart ached at what he saw. Harry was slumped over, elbows on his knees, hands covering his face. He looked exhausted; worn down. Louis ached for Harry. 

 

 


	44. Chapter 44

Harry stared at the child in front of him. The room was silent, heavy with tension, and he could feel it radiating from Bean. The child, his very first child ever, the very first human he'd created, made with the person he loved most in the whole entire world, was almost shaking. He looked terrified, and Harry was so thankful that he'd learned to mask his emotions at a young age. He felt inside what Bean felt on the outside. 

 

"Daddy..." Bean whimpered. He looked so small in the big leather armchair. It was hard to believe that he was almost a teenager. It blew his mind. He wiped at a tear, and Harry's heart broke. It was like staring at a version of himself, only twenty-five years younger. "I'm sorry." 

 

"I know." Harry said quietly, nodding his head. He knew how it must look, with him sitting at his desk and Bean in front of him. It was an intimidation factor, and he hated it. He stood and rounded the side of his desk. Bean watched his every move, and began to panic when Harry crouched down beside him. 

 

"Daddy..." A few more tears escaped Bean's eyes. 

 

"Beanie," Harry said, and he saw the way Bean relaxed at the nickname. "Can you tell me why you said those things earlier?" 

 

Bean nodded and fiddled with his hands. "I- I don't like the fighting," He began quietly. "And I don't like you leaving. You're never here with Mummy the next day. I hate it." 

 

Harry nodded. "I see. What is it like the next day?" 

 

"Mummy is always so sad and no one but me knows why. Lucas probably does, but he never tells me. I have to make sure no one else finds out, too." Bean told him. His voice was small and sad. "And then I pretend not to know so Mummy won't get even sadder." 

 

Harry processed Bean's words. "Bean," He balanced himself by putting his hands on Bean's little knees. "There are things in this world that you don't understand, and that you  _won't_ understand for a very long time. When your mum and I fight, it doesn't mean we don't love each other. I love your mum more than anything. And your mum loves me. I know we fight, and we're working on that, but you absolutely should not worry about it, do you understand?" 

 

Bean nodded. "I think so. But you guys fight a lot. Why?" 

 

Harry exhaled. "Beanie, when you're older, and you get matched to someone, you're going to fight with them. You're going to love them so much sometimes it will hurt you, but you're also going to fight with them. Sometimes you'll fight over stupid things, like what to eat, and sometimes you'll fight with them over important things, like having kids. Fighting does not mean you don't love them." 

 

"But when you two fight, it's loud." Bean whispered, almost as if he were afraid to say it. 

 

"Yes, I know. Sometimes your mum and I will fight while laying right next to each other, and it'll be quiet. Sometimes your mum and I will fight while across the room. Sometimes we have so much to say and we're not listening to each other that we have to yell." 

 

Bean stared at Harry. 

 

"And Bean, when you said that you could take care of your mum and siblings," Harry continued. "It hurt my feelings. Do you think I'm not a good father? Do you think that I don't provide for your mum and you?" 

 

Bean was quick to shake his head and sit up. He looked panicked. "You're the best daddy in the whole world!" He exclaimed. "I don't know why I said it. Please don't hate me." 

 

"Bean, Bean," Harry soothed, cupping his son's cheek with one large hand. "Baby, I don't hate you. I could never hate you, okay?" 

 

Bean nodded tearfully. "I'm so sorry, Daddy." He croaked. "I don't want to be like you." 

 

Harry froze, and it was as if time stood still. Bean's words washed over him, pulling him under like a cold current. Staring at his son, and hearing those words, it was like a younger version of himself, the one that never wanted to be a Dom to anyone, never wanted to be tied down, was speaking to him. 

 

"I don't want to do any of it." Bean was crying, shaking his head. "I don't want to take any tests and I don't want to marry anyone. I don't care if it is the law." 

 

Some sort of relief flooded Harry's body, but he couldn't show it. He was more concerned about what Bean meant. "Bean, what exactly don't you want?" He asked. 

 

"I don't want to take care of anyone." Bean answered, sniffling. 

 

"Bean..." Harry racked his brain. "That'll change when you're older, I promise. It's wonderful, it really is. You just don't understand it now." 

 

Bean blinked at Harry through his tears. "I don't want to do it. I don't want to fight with anyone ever. I want to be by myself forever."

 

As Bean dissolved into more tears, Harry could only pull his son down into his lap and hold him. He shed a few tears with Bean, and prayed to God that when it was Bean's turn to take the test, he was matched with someone who would love him unconditionally; someone who would shed a new light onto the process that he was so afraid of.

 

-

 

Harry sighed and rolled onto his back. It was still early in the morning, and the sky was still dark. From across the room, he could hear Atticus's squeaky breathing, and from right next to him, he could hear Louis' soft little inhales and exhales. Normally, he'd feel them on his skin, as they would curl up together as closely as they could. But they were fighting, or something, and Harry was just really over it. 

 

He turned his head and looked at Louis, who seemed to be miles away. On their California King, Louis always managed to look so small, and even more so now that he was sleeping towards the edge. When they went to bed last night, there was an unspoken agreement that they would  _not_ be cuddling. 

 

But now, staring at Louis' small back covered in his shirt, all he wanted to do was press himself alongside Louis' back and hold him. Nothing was stopping him, so he inched his way across the bed, tugging the covers down as he went.  _He_ wanted to be the only source of warmth for Louis at the moment. Sue him. 

 

When his body was wrapped around Louis', it felt like he could finally breathe normally again. Why he ever deprived himself of that was beyond him. And as to be expected, Louis began to shift. He usually did when he was uncovered. He hated to be cold. 

 

Harry listened to him mumble and whimper as he turned, pouting in his sleep. His heart expanded with so much love as he tugged the blankets back over them. Louis' pout went away and he sighed. His expression was serene. 

 

"I love you, baby." Harry whispered, kissing Louis on the forehead. "Even when we fight." 

 

-

 

When Louis woke up the next morning, he had a large man draped around his body, holding him tight, and a very hard cock pressing against his bum. He shifted and wiggled around to no avail. He didn't budge. Harry's body was so big and heavy on him that it was impossible for him to move at all. He sighed. 

 

"Harry," He nudged the older man with his elbow. 

 

That prompted Harry to grunt and squeeze him tighter. 

 

"Opposite of what I wanted you to do, love." Louis inhaled deeply and began worming his way out of Harry's grip. Half of him, the biggest half, wanted him to stay and maybe grind up against Harry's morning wood. But the other half, the maternal half, had to get up and check on Atticus. "Harry, I need to get up." 

 

Behind him, Harry sighed and blinked his eyes open. When he saw that he was almost squishing Louis, he jerked back, as if touching Louis burned him. His eyes were wild momentarily and he mumbled an apology and a, "It won't happen again." 

 

Louis stood, anger flaring through him, and he marched over to Atticus's bassinet. "So you can't even touch me now, is that it?" He asked angrily, focusing all his attention on Atticus, who was still asleep. He turned to face Harry. "Or only when you sleep? When I'm asleep? So neither of us can appreciate it? So that I can't turn over and tell you how much I've missed your arms around me?" 

 

Harry sat up in bed, baffled and a bit groggy. "I just didn't want to give you the wrong idea." 

 

Louis' eyes opened wider. "The wrong idea? The wrong idea?" He shrieked. "So the wrong idea is my husband holding me when I'm asleep?  _That's_ the wrong idea? That's fucked up, Harry." 

 

"That's not what I meant." Harry tossed the blankets off of his body and stood. "I didn't want you to think that I've forgiven you." 

 

Louis pressed his hands to his chest. "Oh, believe me. You hold grudges like a pro. I wish there was a contest or a tournament so that you would win every single time. The champion of holding grudges." He shook a finger at Harry and headed for the door. "Fuck you, Harry Styles." 

 

"Hey, hey," Harry followed Louis, and slammed the door shut when Louis opened it a few inches. "You can't talk to me like that." 

 

"When you accuse me of respecting your dying Nana's wishes just to hurt you, I can do what I bloody well please." Louis snapped. He glared up at Harry. "When you'd rather fight for days on end instead of talking like a reasonable adult, then I can do what I bloody well please. When you - " 

 

"I fucking get it." Harry snarled. 

 

"No, I don't think you do!" Louis stepped away from the door. "You'd rather blame everything on me than get the facts! You've done it since the day we were matched. Harry Styles can do no wrong! I've let you blame things on me, Harry. I've done it because I love you and care about you, and I didn't want you to get stressed out and withdrawal. I've been your verbal punching bag for years." 

 

Harry was speechless. He watched as Louis sank down onto the bed and buried his face in his hands. 

 

"And you know what?" Louis asked quietly. He looked up at Harry through tears. "You  _still_ haven't called your Nana and talked to her. You just assumed that I was lying to you." 

 

Harry stepped away from the door and sank to his knees in front of Louis. "Louis, I - " 

 

Louis shook his head and blinked back tears. "I think I need a break." 

 

Harry blinked up at him. "Yeah, yeah, that's good. You, uh, you can sleep awhile longer and I'll take the kids for the day or something. You can relax and - " 

 

Louis looked at Harry and sighed. There was so much sadness in his eyes that it hurt Harry to look at. "No, Harry. I think," He inhaled slowly. "I think I need a break from you." 

 

-

 

Harry watched Louis drag his suitcase down the stairs and he sighed. There was nothing he could do to stop Louis. No matter how hard he begged and pleaded, Louis was very adamant about taking a bit of time for himself. Even though it killed Harry, he couldn't stop Louis. It only made him feel better that the suitcase was small. He had no idea where Louis was going or when he was coming back, but he held promise in that small suitcase. 

 

"Are you sure I can't drive you to the airport?" He asked again. Things between them were still so awkward. It had been two days since their fight in the bedroom, and things were rocky. 

 

Louis stopped in front of him and shook his head. "No, Harry. I'm sorry." He smiled sadly. "Things have to end here. You'd never let me go if you drove me." 

 

It was true. Harry sighed. "At least let me walk you to the driver." 

 

Louis nodded and handed Harry his suitcase. He'd said goodbye to the children earlier, telling them that he was going to go visit some distant relatives. They bought it, and that was that. Harry had a harder time accepting it. 

 

The wind outside was bitter and strong, and he studied the clothes Louis was wearing. The hoodie draped around him was Harry's, and Harry was worried that it wouldn't be enough to keep him warm. He glanced down at the suitcase in his hand. He wondered just how many articles of clothing inside of it were his. 

 

They stopped in front of the town car and Louis glanced up at Harry. "I love you." He said quietly. The wind was whipping his hair every which way, and he pushed it back. "So much, Harry. I'll call you when I land."

 

"You haven't told me where you were going." Harry reminded him. He gripped the suitcase tighter. 

 

Louis gave him a closed smile. "I might, when I come back. But for now, no. You'd only buy a ticket and follow me." 

 

"I would." Harry agreed. "That's what I'm supposed to do. I've  _told_ you, I'd follow you to the ends of the fucking earth." 

 

Louis reached a hand up and cupped Harry's scruffy cheek. "Like I said, I love you. This is not the end. We aren't divorcing, we aren't separating. I just need time to myself. Okay?" 

 

Harry nodded dumbly. "I love you too." He replied. "So fucking much." 

 

"We can talk as much as you want when I get back." Louis promised. "I don't know if I'll call you every night, but I'll call the babies every night." 

 

"Okay." 

 

"If we talk things out when I get home, like seriously sit down and talk, then we can go on our own vacation, okay?" Louis asked. 

 

Harry nodded. Then, because he could, he swooped down and pressed their lips together. He was so fucking happy that Louis reciprocated. He would need the taste of Louis' lips on his to get him through until they were reunited. 

 

"I need to go." Louis pulled away after a few moments. "I love you." 

 

"I love you too, baby." Harry replied quietly. He opened the door and watched as Louis slid inside the car. He put the suitcase in behind him and bent over. "Ends of the earth, baby." He reminded Louis. 

 

He stood upright and closed the car door. He stood outside in the blistering wind, watching as it drove down the street. Only when it pulled out of sight did he curse himself. He inhaled and exhaled and closed his eyes. Counted to ten. 

 

"Don't forget to come back to me, baby." He whispered. 

 

He opened his eyes, unclenched his fists, and headed back into the house. 

 

 


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter SUCKS

Louis sat his suitcase down onto the plush bedding and sighed. He'd checked into his hotel room, a big suite with ornate decorations and high ceilings, and he was already bored. The hotel had a spa, a bar, a restaurant, and a ballroom, and he was _bored_. He missed his kids already. He missed  _Harry_. He'd never been one to be too independent. He needed Harry more than he needed to breathe. 

 

He left his suitcase on the bed and wandered around. The bathroom was huge, complete with a jet-filled shower cubicle and a massive jacuzzi to relax in. There were candles and a package of rose petals, should he feel the need to use them. He couldn't help but imagine Harry and him in the jacuzzi, sitting skin-to-skin, probably making out. They liked to do that a lot. 

 

He left the bathroom and entered the living area. The furniture, though beautiful, looked pristine and uncomfortable, like there should be plastic over it. Everything in the room was expensive, from the large television on the wall to the lamps. It was to be expected in a hotel that lavish, though. He figured he deserved it. 

 

He walked over to the bar, which wasn't mini at all, and opened it up with the key. Inside, there were packages of gourmet cookies and assortments of nuts and fine chocolates. There were bottles of expensive liquor, all full sized, and he reached for a bottle of white wine with a sigh. He searched for a corkscrew and found it sitting in a basket, along with the room-service menu and bottles of complementary lotions. 

 

He tipped a wine glass upright and poured the wine. Setting the bottle down, he grabbed his glass and went back into the bedroom. He dug his phone out of his suitcase and pulled up his contacts. His number one, most favorite contact, was Harry, with a heart beside it, and he pressed on it. He lifted it to his ear and took a sip. 

 

He thought of what he would say to Harry when he answered, how he would stay strong and ask to speak to the kids. He would be a little cold towards Harry, just to show how much he's been hurting. 

 

It all flew out the window when Harry answered. 

 

"Hello?" He sounded breathless. 

 

"Hi." He squeaked, sitting on the bed. He took another sip of wine for courage. It had only been an hour and a half since he'd seen Harry, and already missed him so much. He was weak. 

 

"Hey, baby!" Harry greeted loudly; happily.

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked. "Why do you sound so breathless?" 

 

"I just gave Archie a bath. Did you know he likes to run around naked?" Harry asked, laughing. "He's also a very good hider." 

 

Louis smiled. "Yes, I knew. All of your children liked to run around naked. Sort of like someone else I know..." 

 

"Hey," Harry whined. "I've toned it down. I'm only naked in our bedroom now. Can't walk around free and easy like I used to." 

 

"No," Louis agreed. 

 

"Are you calling from the plane?" Harry asked, and there was a clatter on his end. He cursed. 

 

"What are you doing?" Louis asked, wincing when there was another clatter. 

 

"Trying," Harry said, sounding frustrated. He was struggling with something. "To get Theo's socks out of the toaster. He shoved them right down in there, the little bugger. We're throwing this pair away. Did you get through security okay? No problems or anything?" 

 

"I - uh," Louis began, suddenly feeling so nervous. 

 

"What?" Harry paused. "Something happened?" 

 

"I'm in London." Louis answered quickly. 

 

"Oh," Harry paused again. "Still at Heathrow, then?" 

 

"No. I'm at a hotel. I couldn't leave. I miss you too much." Louis rushed out. A weight was lifted from his shoulders when he said it. 

 

"I don't understand." Harry said slowly. 

 

"Come to me, Harry." He pleaded. He clutched at his heart, feeling dramatic. 

 

"Always." Harry replied immediately. "Let me, uh, fuck. Let me call someone. Niall, or Liam. Your mum! She can watch the babies. I'm coming, let me pack. Fuck, never mind. No time for that. I need to see you right now." 

 

"Harry - " Louis began. 

 

"No, no. No, no, no." Harry chanted. He was breathless again and Louis heard zipping. "I'm coming. Right now. Fuck, this was stupid. I can't even be without you. Shit, I need to call your mum. I'm going to put you on hold. Wait a second, baby." 

 

Louis nodded, and paced nervously as the line went silent. His pacing took him to the basket by the door, holding the room service menu. He scanned it quickly. He should order something and have it waiting when Harry got there. He could light a few candles, too. It would be romantic. He searched for a pencil to write everything down. 

 

"Baby?" Harry came back on the line, breathless once again. "Your mum is on her way. Her and Dan were at a market near our neighborhood. It's fate." He sounded giddy. It made Louis smile. 

 

"Good."

 

"We're gonna talk, okay?" Harry promised. "I'm going to get there, and we're going to talk. I don't know if it'll be before or after I make love to you.  _God_ , I am going to make love to you  _all night long_." His voice was thick with need. It made Louis quiver. 

 

"Hurry up, Harry." Louis begged. He finally found a pencil and began scribbling down whatever he saw on the menu. 

 

"I see your mum's car. I'm going to hang up now. I'll see you soon." Harry promised. 

 

Louis rattled off the hotel name and his room number. "I'll call the front desk and have them leave you a key." He said. He hung up the phone and sat it down. He read the menu over, slower, and made adjustments to what he'd scratched down. Once he was satisfied, he lifted the white receiver of the hotel phone and dialed the kitchen. He rattled off his order and hung up. 

 

Suddenly, he grew nervous. Harry was coming, and he was so happy. He couldn't wait to fall right into Harry's arms. He missed him so much his heart ached. He wondered if Harry felt the same. He should feel crazy. They'd been apart less than two hours. Was it normal for him to feel that way? 

 

He shrugged it off and picked his glass of wine back up. He sipped at it as he walked back to the bedroom. Eyeing his suitcase, an idea popped into his head. He sat the glass down and unzipped it. He'd packed a bit of lingerie, just so that he'd feel sexy  _without_ Harry telling him. He wanted to feel that he was sexy even when he wasn't in the bedroom with Harry. 

 

His legs were shaved, but he laid the lingerie out and hurried to the bathroom. A little wash-up couldn't hurt. He scrubbed himself down in record time and dried off. He smeared some lotion into his skin and simultaneously ran a romantic bath. He lit some candles and sprinkled some rose petals around. 

 

In the bedroom, he slid on the silky smooth material of the babydoll and tugged the soft panties on. He finished the look with the matching stockings and eyed himself in the mirror. It was perfect. He wanted to have the element of surprise, so he tied the matching robe around himself, just in time to hear a knock at the door. His heart rate accelerated, until he heard the bellboy call, "Room service!". 

 

He opened the door and allowed the bellboy to roll the cart in. 

 

"Your dinner, sir." He said, gesturing to the cart. "The chef added a bottle of our finest champagne, as well." 

 

Louis lifted his eyebrows as he rifled around for his money. "Very nice." He said. "I didn't have to wait very long." 

 

"No, of course not. Presidential suites are the kitchen's top priorities." The bellboy explained, graciously taking the thin wad of bills Louis handed him. He had to keep up appearances. He couldn't have a presidential suite and be a lousy tipper. "Have a good night. Ring the front desk and ask for me if you have any other needs."

 

Louis promised he would and saw the bellboy out. When the door was closed, he wandered over to the cart. It was full of silver-domed dishes, all of which smelled divine. He was about to lift the lid of one up when the door behind him banged open. It hit the wall and bounced. He turned with a gasp.

 

It was Harry.

 

-

 

Louis stared at the ceiling, gasping for breath. Harry was doing the same, right next to him. It had never felt better. Harry had barely shut the door and locked it behind him before he was on Louis like a wild man. They bit and scratched at each other, marking their territory. They'd never been rougher, and yet, at the same time, they'd never been softer.

 

He turned to look at Harry, who was stark naked. Louis had opted to slip his babydoll back on, though it was almost ripped down the entire center. He stared at the rise and fall of Harry's chest, letting his eyes wander to the cock that was still hard as steel. Harry was insatiable.

 

"Another round?" Harry's voice spoke through the quiet of the room.

 

"Can't take it. Three is enough." Louis murmured. "You've worn me out."

 

"In a good way." Harry replied cheekily. "The  _best_ way." 

 

Louis nodded his head in agreement. He tilted his head back and stared at the abandoned cart of food. He'd grabbed onto it for leverage as Harry had fucked him hard and deep, and subsequently rolled it away.

 

"Hungry?" He asked, standing up. He eyed a stack of extra hotel sheets and pulled one around him. He limped over to the food cart, breathless at the way his body ached. It was _so good_. 

 

"Is it still hot?" Harry asked, standing. He didn't bother covering himself up. He was _damn_ proud of his cock. As he should be, too. 

 

Louis nodded. "Yup." He lifted a lid, and a bit of steam rolled away. "I think these carts are meant to keep food hot." He must have been right, because the food was still steaming as he uncovered every dish. 

 

"Steak? Lobster?" Harry laughed. "Onion rings? Quite the assortment." 

 

"Hush up." Louis elbowed Harry gently. "I didn't even think about it. I just ordered your favorites." 

 

"Onion rings are  _your_ favorites." Harry reminded him. He stood directly behind Louis and stooped down, resting his chin on Louis' shoulder. He had his arms wrapped around Louis' waist. It was perfect. 

 

"I wanted a variety." Louis giggled. "I wanted to surprise you when you got here." 

 

"Speaking of," Harry said. He turned Louis in his arms and looked down. "Why are you here? What happened to going to some exotic place for a week or so? What happened to wanting to clear your head?" 

 

Louis shrugged and stepped away from Harry. He began pacing, the sheet trailing behind him like a cape. "I couldn't. I thought I could go and travel to France or maybe to America, but we got halfway to the airport and I had the driver stop. I couldn't be away from you." He turned and faced Harry. "I...I didn't want to leave." 

 

"Then why did you?" Harry questioned, stepping forward. 

 

Louis exhaled and slumped his shoulders. "I don't know. You're always leaving, so I figured I'd see what all the hype was about." The joke he made fell flat, heavy with the truth of it all. 

 

"I do leave." Harry agreed. "A lot." 

 

"Why?" Louis asked. "I hate it. The second I sat down in the car, I wanted to turn around. Was it not like that for you? Do I just love you more or something?" 

 

"God, no!" Harry rushed forward. "Don't even say that. I don't...I don't - fuck. I love you  _so_ much. I don't think you realize how much I love you. I'd take a bullet for you, step in front of a moving train for you. Put the oxygen mask on you first during a plane wreck." 

 

"You're not supposed to do that." Was all Louis could say. 

 

"Yeah? Who the fuck would stop me?" Harry stepped closer. 

 

"I don't - I don't know." Louis answered quietly. 

 

Harry searched his face. "Baby, fuck. I am  _so_ sorry. I'm a horrible husband, I know that. I doubt you and I accuse you of things and I isolate you and I  _run_. I'm just so fucking lucky that you've put up with me all this time." 

 

"I don't really want to put up with anyone else. There are times when I've doubted us, but you are the only person I want to be married to." Louis admitted. 

 

"I will  _never_ doubt you again. Okay?" Harry tilted Louis' head up with two of his fingers. "I won't argue with you anymore I'll believe every single word you say." 

 

"I don't want you to agree with me," Louis said. "I want you to trust me. It's normal for you to question some things, but to outright tell me that I'm keeping things from you on purpose, just to hurt you, it just...hurts  _me_." 

 

"I know." Harry nodded. "And I don't know why I do it. Fuck, I'm sorry. I've done it to you so many times. I'm shit, and I know it. And I'm going to work on it." 

 

"It's partially my fault," Louis wrapped his hands around Harry's biceps and squeezed. "We were so big on communication and then I keep this from you. I just couldn't find a way to tell you, and Harry, your Nana did ask me to keep it a secret. She didn't want you to get her better treatment. She said she knew you'd prolong her death and she didn't want that." 

 

Harry's eyes softened and he was quiet for several moments. He would have done exactly that, too. He'd fly in the best doctors, and get his Nana the best treatment in the world. "Why didn't she? Why doesn't she want to live?" He asked before he could stop himself. 

 

Louis shook his head. "I don't know, love. She didn't tell me. But I think this is a conversation you need to finish with her." 

 

Harry nodded. "I'm going to do that right now." He said, suddenly nervous. It was his  _Nana_. Though she was callous and from a completely different world when it came to the dominant/submissive nature, she was always there for him. She helped him become the man he was, and some might say it was a blessing, and others a curse. But she was the one constant in his life. 

 

He owed it to her. And she owed it to him. 


	46. Chapter 46

Harry had just popped the cork on the bottle of champagne and Louis had just slipped into one of his naughtier lingerie sets when a phone went off. Harry sighed and lowered the bottle, watching as Louis rifled around in the luggage bag for it. 

 

"It's Niall." He said to Harry.

 

"Don't answer." Harry suggested. He held up the bottle of champagne. 

 

"I have too." Louis huffed. "It could be about the kids." 

 

"Tell you what," Harry sat the bottle down and sauntered over to the bed. "If you don't answer, I'll eat you out. Right here, real good." 

 

"You'll do that regardless." Louis rolled his eyes. "You can't stay away from my bum." He rolled over on his stomach and swiped to answer the phone. "Hello?" 

 

"You're right." Harry whispered from behind him. He settled his large paws on Louis' arse cheeks and squeezed. He was such a child.

 

"Are you at home?" Niall asked. His voice was thick and he sounded as if he'd been crying. 

 

Louis sat up. He glanced at Harry, who was fawning over his backside. He gestured for him. "No, why?" 

 

Niall cursed and exhaled loudly. "Never mind." He sniffled. 

 

"Niall, what's wrong?" He asked. "Are you crying?" 

 

Niall sniffled again, let out a sob, and answered. "I left Liam." 

 

-

 

Harry had barely put the car in park before Louis was sprinting out and up to his front porch. Niall was sitting on the porch swing, looking miserable. Louis enveloped him tightly, rubbing his back. 

 

"What happened?" He asked quietly, smoothing a hand through Niall's hair. He always liked to have his hair played with when he was upset. He hoped that it would calm Niall down a bit. 

 

Niall's body wracked with a few more sobs, and Louis glanced up at Harry, who was standing in front of their front door. They made a few gestures back and forth, Harry blew him a kiss, and went inside. 

 

"Niall, babe, you have to tell me what's going on." Louis pressed gently. The wind was blowing up onto the porch and it was freezing cold. January was unforgiving. He tried not to shiver as he consoled his best friend. "Did you two have a fight?" 

 

Niall nodded, lifting his head. He wiped at his nose. Louis helped by wiping up a few stray tears. "Yeah, sort of." He answered. "He doesn't want this baby." 

 

Louis couldn't stop the small gasp that left his mouth if he'd tried. "Did he say that?" 

 

Niall hesitated, then shook his head. "No." He looked out into the front yard. "Not in so many words. He's just...not excited. He skipped my last ultrasound appointment and he changes the subject when I talk about it. I have to hide the baby things I bring into the house." 

 

"Harry was like that with Bean." Louis reminded him. "He was so distant and weird that it was hard for me to get excited." 

 

Niall looked at him. Though he wasn't crying, his eyes were full of tears. "So what changed? If you say Bean's birth, Louis...I can't wait seven months for Liam to speak to me. I can't wait for him that long." 

 

"No, it wasn't Bean's birth." Louis assured his friend. He squeezed Niall's hand. "I really don't remember. Honestly. One night I fell asleep in the guest room, all by myself, and I woke up in our bed. Harry was rubbing my belly and talking to Bean." 

 

"And it was good from there?" Niall asked hopefully. 

 

Louis paused. He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry Niall. We truly didn't make up until Bean was born. Harry was so dead set on not ever having children. He was thrown for a loop. He was so used to controlling every aspect of his life, and my being pregnant was way out of his control. He couldn't make it go away with a big check." 

 

Niall closed his eyes and let his head fall back. He looked exhausted. "Louis," He began. More tears fell. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I love him so much, but I love this baby too. I can't choose. I  _won't_ choose." 

 

"I know." Louis soothed. "But, Niall. You two have to get through this. You can't separate and you can't divorce. I went through my divorce while pregnant. I've never told Harry this, but I think the reason I had so many problems with Archie was because of the stress." 

 

"But you two didn't divorce." Niall pointed out. 

 

"Legally, no. They hadn't been filed, but we both signed the papers. We saw ourselves as divorced. It was awful, Niall. Every single bit of it." He explained to Niall, in every detail, about how they had no rights when it came to divorcing their dominants. They had no rights as parents, and would not be able to see their children. They would get nothing. He hated making Niall cry more, but he needed to get through to his friend. 

 

The front door creaked open, and Harry poked his head out. He hesitated before speaking. "Baby, you two need to come in. It's too cold. You can talk in the master. I'll sleep in the guest." 

 

Before Louis could answer, Niall wiped his eyes and stood. "No, I'll take the guest. I need some time to myself. Where are the kids?" 

 

"Finn is bunking with Bean and Lucas, and Charlotte and Jane are sleeping with Olivia and Bella." Harry answered. "It's funny. I figured Bean and Finn would be the best of friends, but Finn certainly has taken a liking to Lucas." 

 

"And..." Niall asked, biting his bottom lip. 

 

Harry made a slight face. "He's on the couch." 

 

"We're in the process of making more room." Louis jumped in, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist. He glanced up at Harry. "Baby, why don't we figure out somewhere to sleep. Niall can have the master and Liam can have the guest." 

 

"No, no." Niall answered for Harry. "I burdened you two with my problems. Liam is fine on the couch. You two keep your room." He stepped past Harry and went inside the house. 

 

"Well." Harry said when they were alone on the porch. "He certainly is..." 

 

"Upset." Louis provided quietly. "I told him everything that happens when he files for divorce." The words were bitter on his tongue, and suddenly, he was wracked with guilt. "Have I apologized for doing that?" 

 

"Stop." Harry demanded firmly, looking down at him. "That was years ago. We've settled it, we're past it. I love you with every single cell in my body. I like to hope that you feel the same." 

 

Louis nudged Harry with his elbow. "Dummy." He rolled his eyes fondly. "Let's go inside. I don't want them to be killing each other." 

 

-

 

Louis had his leg slung over Harry's shoulder, two of Harry's fingers inside of him, and Harry's mouth around his nipple, and all he could think about was Niall and Liam. How they were in the same house, both fighting, contemplating divorce. He should be helping in some way, and yet, there he was, getting pleasured by Harry. 

 

"Do you think it's weird?" He asked aloud, staring at the ceiling. 

 

Harry paused and drew back. His lips were wet. "Uh?" He asked, confused. "The position? I told you to tell me if your thigh started to hurt." He started to move, but Louis stopped him. 

 

"No, no. I meant Niall and Liam. They're fighting. They're in the situation we were in. And yet, here we are..." He gestured at their naked bodies. "Pleasuring each other. I feel like we should be helping." 

 

Harry crooked his fingers inside of Louis as he pondered Louis' words. He cracked a smile when he heard Louis mutter ' _dick_ '. "Well, baby. I know you want to help. I know it hits home for you. But what can we do? It's ten o'clock at night, everyone is sleeping. We can't very well wake them up and talk some sense into them." 

 

"Yeah, but." Louis shrugged, wincing when a particular movement from Harry stretched his thigh. 

 

Harry moved away and let Louis' thigh slip from his shoulder. He kissed the inside of it. "Take Niall to lunch tomorrow. Liam and I will stay here with the kids. You two can talk, and I'll talk to Liam. Let him know what he's giving up." 

 

"Yeah?" Louis asked quietly, eyes searching Harry's. 

 

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "You were all I thought about when we were separated. You and those damned kids." 

 

Louis giggled. "They're your damned kids, so." He grinned up at Harry. "Tell me something." 

 

"I cried myself to sleep the first night away from you." Harry answered immediately. "And again when I rolled over and your little body wasn't next to me. I'd never felt so hopeless in my life." 

 

Louis wasn't prepared for the tears that flooded his eyes. "Harry," He whispered. He sniffled. 

 

"No, no, baby." Harry kissed his eyelids gently. "We're not there anymore. We're here, right here, in our bed. We've got seven babies sleeping and one across the room, making weird noises." He huffed a laugh. "I've got you under me in bed, and behind me in business, and beside me in life. That's all that matters. That's it. Our hearts are full and our family is happy." 

 

"I love you." Was all Louis could offer. Harry's little speech made him want to cry into his pillow. He was so overwhelmed with happiness. 

 

Harry leaned down and pressed a long kiss to Louis' forehead. "I love you, baby boy. Now," He pressed their foreheads together. "As long as I've got my fingers inside of you, the  _only_ noises coming out of that pretty little mouth should be of pleasure. Got it?" 

 

Louis nodded. 

 

-

 

Louis and Harry opted to stay in bed longer than usual the next morning. They were curled up together, fingers threaded together, until Atticus began to whimper in his bassinet. Harry stood to get him as Louis stretched out in the warm space that he was just occupying. 

 

"Are you still taking Niall to lunch?" Harry asked, beginning the harrowing task of changing Atticus out of his messy diaper. He got a few seconds in before deciding to just bathe the baby. 

 

"Sure am." Louis told him, rolling off of the bed. He followed Harry and Atty into the bathroom. "Are you sure you want to stay here with the kids? Liam isn't too keen on the idea of having another baby. Won't this sort of help his case? Making him watch not only our eight children, but their three?" 

 

Harry paused. "Well, fuck. I guess I didn't think that through." 

 

Louis nodded and began to fill the baby bathtub up. He made sure the water was the perfect temperature. "You meant well, my love." 

 

"No, wait." Harry said, voice firm. "We're going to stay here. Raising babies isn't fun and games. He's got to take responsibility. Niall didn't knock himself up. Liam is the reason they're in this situation." 

 

Louis stood and took Atty from Harry. "Niall isn't completely faultless. If he's anything like how I was when we were first pregnant with Bean, I'm sure he's egged Liam on a time or two." 

 

"How many times did you egg me on?" Harry asked, leaning against the counter. He loved watching Louis bathe his children. 

 

Louis shrugged. "A few." He answered casually. "More than a few, actually." 

 

"Why?" Harry was curious. 

 

"I just wanted some sort of reaction from you. You never wanted to talk to me or be in the same room as me. I figured that if I could start a fight, then you'd start yelling at me." He shrugged again. "At that time, I'd rather have you yelling at me than ignoring me. At least you'd be acknowledging me." 

 

Harry's arms fell to his sides. "Baby," He placed his hand on Louis' lower back and began to rub. 

 

"It was years ago," Louis looked up at him. "We're so good now. Let's not dwell on it. Let's focus on this little darling we're bathing. Look how cute he is!" 

 

Harry looked down at Atticus. His very last child ever. The baby, only three months old, was smiling, mouth wide open in a little grin. His hair was wild and wet with water, and he was kicking his little legs, splashing both him and Louis with water. 

 

"My sweet boy." Harry bent down and kissed Atticus' wet forehead. "How do my babies get to be so cute?" 

 

Louis cleared his throat. "You're welcome." He grinned at Harry. 

 

"Oh, it's all you, isn't it?" Harry laughed. "It has to be you. You're so beautiful, my darling. Thank you for the beautiful babies you've bestowed upon me." 

 

Louis sniffed and lifted Atticus up out of the tub. "You're welcome. Now, fetch me a towel. My baby is dripping all over the floor." 

 

Harry retrieved a towel and wrapped it around Atticus. He took the baby from Louis and cradled him. His heart melted when Atty grinned and gurgled up at him. "My heart." He cooed. "Let's get you all dressed. Your tummy must be so hungry, hm?" 

 

"I'll go and get him a bottle." Louis stepped past Harry, tapping his hip as he went. He left their bedroom and made it to the top of the stairs. He paused, listening. Niall and Liam were fighting, rather loudly. 

 

" - and  _nothing_ is ever  _your_ fault, is it?" He heard Liam shout. "I work all fucking day for you and my children and you have the nerve - " 

 

"The  _nerve_?" Niall snapped back. "If me wanting you to love this baby is having  _nerve_ , Liam James Payne, then - " 

 

He couldn't bear to listen any longer, and he crept down the stairs as quietly as he could. He slid into the kitchen and made quick work of preparing a bottle for Atticus. He focused his mind on other things, ignoring Liam and Niall in the next room. 

 

When he got back upstairs, he closed their bedroom door with a sigh. Harry had Atticus dressed and they were both laying on the bed. Harry glanced up, concerned. 

 

"What happened?" He asked, sitting up. 

 

He handed Harry the bottle and slumped onto the bed next to him. "Niall and Liam are down there fighting. Liam was essentially telling Niall that he worked all day for him and the children, and it sounded like he was accusing Niall of something. It just reminded me too much of when we fought like that." 

 

Harry made a sad face. "I'm sorry, baby." 

 

Louis shrugged. "I don't think you understand.  _Any_ of you. Dominants have the easiest jobs in the world. You get to leave the house and go out. Your minds seem to shut off of having responsibilities at home. We don't get that option. It seems so easy for you all to flip that switch, from home life to work life. I can't do that. I can never do that. My mind is constantly on you and the babies. And I think that's probably the reason we struggled so much. You couldn't see it, the difference between home Harry and work Harry, but I could." 

 

Harry was silent. He stared at Atticus for several moments, into the face of his infant son. "I see it now." He finally said. "And I'm sorry you were put through so much." 

 

Louis wrapped an arm around Harry's and rested his head on Harry's bicep. "I forgave you a long time ago." He promised. He sighed. "How are we going to help Niall and Liam?" 

 

"I don't know, baby." Harry answered truthfully. There were so many things he wanted to tell his friend, but if Liam was anything like how he was years ago, nothing would be able to convince him. "I just don't know." 


	47. Chapter 47

At eleven o'clock, Harry kissed Louis goodbye and sent him on his way with a smack to the arse. He was ready for Louis and Niall to go out to lunch so that he could spend the day with Liam. He had been rehearsing what he was going to say to his friend all day. 

 

"The older kids will usually stick either to themselves or with each other," Harry explained, walking through the foyer. "Ollie and Theo will usually cause a mess or two, but then they'll settle down for a movie. So really, all we need to do is watch Archie and Atticus. And Jane of course." 

 

Liam nodded. "Yeah." He agreed. "She's at the age where she wants to do everything everyone else does, but doesn't quite know exactly what it is that they're doing." 

 

"Two year olds, what can you do?" Harry shrugged. "I've had to deal with the terrible two's eight times. I'm a pro." 

 

"I'm just surprised you haven't lost your mind yet." Liam commented, picking Jane up. Her wispy blonde hair was in a beautiful French braid, courtesy of Niall. "She gets her hair from him, I think. Soft and blonde." 

 

"Finn and Charlotte have brown hair." Harry pointed out. "Does it ever make Niall mad? Louis gets  _so_ angry when I mention how much the kids look like me. One time, he didn't talk to me for a whole night. Not even when we had sex. Well," He paused, making a wistful face. "It's kind of hard to speak when you've got a hand wrapped around your throat." 

 

Liam made a face. "Dude, my daughter is right here." 

 

Harry cooed at Jane and tickled her chin. "Janie didn't hear a word I said. She's too busy watching Pancake. Let her down, Liam. Let her play." He suggested. He turned around and opened the refrigerator. "Are your kids picky? Mine will literally eat anything." 

 

"Uh, no. Not picky." Liam answered, sitting down in a chair. He sat Jane down and watched her toddle out of the room. 

 

"Great. I'll make soup and cheese toasties." Harry decided, pulling out the ingredients. "So, Liam." 

 

Liam groaned. "I should have known you were up to something. Please, don't ask." 

 

Harry glanced up at his friend. "I was just going to ask if you've thought of any baby names." He said innocently. 

 

"No," Liam sighed. "I haven't." 

 

"When Louis was pregnant with Bean, I thought of at least ten baby names a day. And they were all sorts of names, completely different." He chuckled. "I never thought in a million years that my first child would be called  _Bean_." 

 

Liam smiled. "It's a cute name. And it's not his real name, anyhow. He's named after you." 

 

Harry sat his hands flat on the counter and smiled a slow smile. "It makes me prouder than anything, too. God," He shook his head. "Insanely happy, too." 

 

"I thought you weren't excited for Bean?" Liam asked. 

 

Harry paused. "It's...complicated." He finally answered. "I was so angry. I was so used to control, and then Louis got pregnant, and it was out of my control. Granted, we should have known that his birth control wouldn't be effective immediately, but still. I wasn't excited that I was becoming a father so quickly, especially when I didn't want children to begin with. When I first found out, I decided that Bean was going to be our first and our last. I would have my heir, he'd get my half of the company, and that would be it." 

 

"So what changed your mind?" Liam asked. "Obviously something happened," He gestured around the big, messy house. There was no denying that eight children lived there. 

 

Harry began preparing the food, speaking as he did so. "When I saw Bean the very first time, screaming and covered in afterbirth, he was just so perfect to me. And then when they handed him to Louis, and he was crying so hard, I couldn't imagine  _not_ having anymore. Louis was so happy, and he was tired and sore but so beautiful. I saw how happy he was." 

 

"So, you had so many kids to make Louis happy?" Liam asked, confused. 

 

"No. I did it because it made  _me_ happy. Sure, they're a handful. But it's eight little children who I love, who love _me_. Seven of them came from the love Louis and I have for each other, and I watched the other come into this world and grow." Harry sighed. "I can't explain it." 

 

Liam nodded. "I love my kids. I understand what you're saying." 

 

"Why aren't you excited for this baby?" Harry asked, pointblank. He refused to give Liam any time to stall; to think of an easy way out. 

 

Liam stilled. A brief moment of panic crossed his face. "What makes you think that I'm not - "

 

Harry held his spatula up. "I have my sources." He answered. "Why aren't you excited?" 

 

Liam crossed his arms over his chest and glanced around. "I am." He answered quietly. 

 

"You're not." Harry disagreed. "And it's okay to be scared, Liam. Shit, with as much stuff as Louis went through during each pregnancy...if I'd have known each one was going to affect him like it did, I would have made better efforts to prevent it." 

 

"You regret having so many?" Liam asked. 

 

Harry shook his head. "Not at all. But, I wish I could have protected Louis more. If he could have had perfect pregnancies, I would have gladly taken the sickness, and the scares, just so he could stay safe. Just so I wouldn't have to wait outside of a hospital room, waiting to see if he's alive." 

 

Liam was quiet. 

 

"Is that what you're feeling?" He asked. "That you want to protect Niall but can't?" 

 

Liam shrugged and stood. He paced, frustrated. "I can't explain it. God, Harry," He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged. "I  _love_ Niall, and I love my babies. I love the one that's inside of him. I just can't explain why I'm not excited. I  _know_ he didn't do this to himself. I'm in it as much as he is." 

 

Harry stopped stirring the soup and looked at Liam. "Liam, when I was freaking out about becoming a father, my mother told me something very important. We don't feel the immediate connection that Louis and Niall would. We don't share the excitement of pregnancies because we just don't understand. We become fathers the very first moment we see and hold our babies, not when we're told that they're pregnant. We don't feel the first kicks or experience morning sickness or mood swings. We're just along for the very long and very confusing ride. All we can do is be supportive and rub their feet." 

 

Liam sighed and sat down again. He looked exhausted. He rubbed his chin with his hand. "I yelled at him." He finally said. "I yelled at Niall. I accused him of all sorts of shit, Harry. I stay late at work until I know he'll be asleep when I get home. Who does that?" He looked disgusted with himself. 

 

"I did." Harry told him. "I did all those things and more. No one will ever know how lucky I am that Louis is still with me. I put him through hell and I still get to wake up next to him. It's what we do, Liam. God only knows why we're so stupid. I can't explain it either, but we distance ourselves. It's how we learn." 

 

Liam leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly. "He'll never forgive me." He was sure of it. 

 

"Don't say that," Harry shook his head. "Now, go and gather the kids up. Lunch is ready." 

 

"Where are you going?" Liam asked, standing. He could take care of his own children, but add eight of the Styles children, and you've got mayhem. 

 

"I've got to call my baby mama." Harry called over his shoulder. 

 

-

 

Lunch with the Styles children was a completely different experience for Liam. While they were well behaved, they were  _loud_. He wondered briefly how Harry could handle so much noise at once, but he look one glance at the proud look on Harry's face and his questions were answered. Harry knew how to handle them. They  _were_ half of him, after all. 

 

"Daddy," Lucas's voice filtered through. "Is Finny going to live here?" 

 

Liam looked over at Finn, who was smiling at Lucas. He glanced at Harry, who was shaking his head. 

 

"I'm sorry love. He's just staying here for a little bit." Harry answered. "Isn't that fun?" 

 

Lucas nodded. "Very fun! I love Finny." He seemed so proud of it. Liam wondered at what age he started to have feelings for boys. Surely not as young as Lucas. 

 

"I'm sure you do, poppet." Harry agreed. He reached out towards Ollie and took the fork right out of the child's hands, not even looking. Liam was amazed at how he knew what was going on. But then again, it  _was_ Ollie and Theo, and they were crazy children. 

 

-

 

"Niall, do you think Harry would like this?" Louis asked his friend, holding up one of the nastiest pieces of lingerie he'd ever seen. It was filthy. 

 

He nodded. "Yes." He answered, rolling his eyes. "And for the last time, I don't want to know or even have a clue as to what you and Harry do in the bedroom, nasty fuckers." 

 

Louis giggled and tucked the lingerie into the crook of his arm. He'd definitely be getting it. "It's for his birthday." He explained with a giddy smile. "After we're done here, do you want to go to that baby store? It's where I went with Bean and I haven't been since." 

 

Niall shrugged. He hadn't been very talkative. "I guess." 

 

"We don't have to. I know with Liam being weird, you probably don't want to do anything with babies." Louis said. "I know I didn't want to even  _think_ about Bean when I was pregnant with him. I thought that somehow if I didn't acknowledge my huge stomach, Harry would maybe forget that I was pregnant." 

 

"How can he not be excited?" Niall asked, sighing into his hands. "He was thrilled with the first three. Now..." He shrugged. "It's like he'd rather eat nails than talk about the baby with me. It hurts, you know?" 

 

Louis wrapped an arm around Niall's shoulders. "I know. Boy, do I know. Hopefully Harry will knock some sense into Liam. Harry knows how badly we hurt when they do things like that, he'll tell Liam." 

 

Niall shrugged again. "Can we go to the food court? I need something sweet." 

 

Louis nodded. "Of course. Let me buy this and then we can go eat our feelings." He turned them around and marched them right up to the checkout. He handed the blushing salesgirl the naughty piece of lingerie and turned to Niall. "My arse is going to look  _delicious_ in that." 

 

-

 

When Louis and Niall got home, the house was relatively quiet. Louis seemed suspicious, and they made their way to the den. It was empty. Holding the lingerie bag, he put his hands on his hips and looked around. 

 

"Where is my stupid husband?" He asked no one in particular. 

 

Niall pointed through the french doors. "Outside." He answered. 

 

"With no coats on!" Louis marched over to the doors and flung them open. "Harry Edward Styles! I would like to have a word with you!" 

 

Harry, who was in the middle of a snowball fight, paused and looked up. Louis was standing on the deck, hands on hips hips. He abandoned his fort and jogged over to where Louis was. 

 

"Yes, love of my life?" He batted his eyelashes and wrapped his arms around Louis' waist, lifting him up. "You screamed for me?" 

 

"Yes," Louis giggled. "Why are my babies outside with no coats? And where is Atty?" 

 

Harry glanced to his children, who were screaming and running around. "They got hot." He shrugged. "And Liam's got him. He threw a massive fit earlier and Liam is the only one who calmed him down." 

 

Louis raised an eyebrow and stared down at Harry. "Atty didn't calm down for you?" He asked. "Huh. The reign of Harry Styles being the superior parent was over before it started." 

 

"I'll show you who's superior." Harry threatened, nuzzling his face against Louis' belly. "Tonight." 

 

Louis tossed his head back and laughed. "Stop it! There are young children present. And Niall." He slid down through Harry's arms when they loosened, and he batted his eyelashes at his husband. "Hello, baby daddy." 

 

"Hello, baby mama." Harry returned. He glanced down at the bag. "Is that for me?" 

 

Louis bit his lip and nodded. "Sure is." He answered. 

 

Harry raised an eyebrow and used one finger to pull back the tissue paper. "Oh, baby. Let's go inside right now." He suggested. He couldn't help the way his cock thickened when he saw what was in the bag. 

 

"Harry," Louis gasped, scandalized. "Niall, excuse him. He doesn't ever get laid."

 

Harry shook his head mournfully. "Never." He confirmed. 

 

"I think that's between you two." Niall laughed. "And it should stay between you two." 

 

"Oh, it will." Harry promised, pushing himself against Louis. 

 

"Gross." Louis giggled, pushing Harry away. "Gross, gross. Get away from me forever." 

 

Harry wound his arms around Louis' waist and hugged him from behind. He had to stoop down, and Louis loved it. It made him feel so small and protected. "Nope. Never. Can't ever be away from you." He kissed the side of Louis' neck. 

 

Niall looked away when Harry began nibbling on Louis' neck, and wanted to block his ears when Louis started making little noises, but thought that might be rude. Instead, he opted for saying, "How about I watch the kids." 

 

Louis opened his eyes and nodded. "Actually, I do have something for Harry to do inside." He said, grabbing Harry's  hand. 

 

"Yeah," Niall rolled his eyes. "You." 

 

Louis winked at Niall. "It'll only be a minute." He promised. "You're the best friend ever!" 

 

"Yeah, yeah." Niall shoved them inside the house. "Go on. You'd do the same for me." 

 

"We would!" Harry called, letting Louis drag him through the house. 

 

Niall closed the door and shook his head. As he made his way to play with the kids, he hoped that they'd have to return the favor sooner rather than later. He just really missed Liam. 

 

 

 

 


	48. Chapter 48

Harry closed the bedroom door behind himself and eagerly unbuttoned his pants. Louis rarely indulged him in afternoon delights, mostly because of the children. But it was like a free pass now that Liam and Niall were with the kids. He was finally going to get lucky before two in the afternoon. He stripped his shirt off and flung it across the room, turning to face Louis. 

 

He watched as Louis yawned into a small palm and tossed the bag he had to the floor. He then draped himself across the bed gingerly. His eyes opened and closed slowly, and the hand he had across his tummy clenched. It was a tell-tale sign that he was sleepy. 

 

"Wait," Harry frowned, clutching the button of his jeans. "Are we not about to have sex?" 

 

Louis opened his eyes and looked over at Harry. He stared a long time at Harry's naked chest, eyes travelling to Harry's open fly, before shaking his head. "I couldn't  _possibly_ be penetrated now, H." He whined dramatically. "I'm exhausted." 

 

"So?" Harry walked over to the bed. "You just lay there. You love that." 

 

Louis cocked a brow. "Excuse me?" He sniffed, challenging. "Are you saying I just loaf around while you do all of the work? Because let me tell you something, sinking myself down onto that enormous cock every other night is taxing. I'm  _delicate_ , Harry. I'm - " 

 

"Not what I meant." Harry huffed, letting himself fall. He made fists beside Louis' head and hovered over his spouse. "You like being taken care of. You like having sleepy sex, because I take care of you extra special when you're tired. You're pliant, and  _so_ soft. My soft boy. My  _best_ boy." 

 

Harry balanced himself with just one closed fist and let his other hand travel down the side of Louis' body. He loved the way his hand dipped into every curve. When his hand reached the obscene dip of Louis' waist, he squeezed. He watched as Louis' eyelids fluttered, his eyelashes fanning against his cheeks. 

 

He lowered his head and brushed their noses together. "I don't want to have sex now, anyhow." He confessed. "I'd rather do it tonight, when I can lay you down and kiss every inch of you. Take my time with you. Treat your body how it should be treated. Make love you, darling." 

 

Louis made a noise in the back of his throat and nodded. "Yeah," He swallowed, blinking up at Harry. From his angle, he could see just how green Harry's eyes were, and how they were a little blue in the center. He could see every eyelash and every little freckle. "I love you." He felt compelled to say it. 

 

Harry gave him a soft smile. "And I love you, baby." He rolled himself over and curled up beside Louis. He rubbed his thumb over the strip of exposed skin, right where Louis' shirt had ridden up. He would never get over how soft it was. 

 

"Did you talk to Liam today?" Louis asked abruptly. 

 

"I did." Harry answered. "Did you talk to Niall?" 

 

Louis nodded. "I don't know if I helped." 

 

"Why not?" Harry questioned. "You give great advice, baby." 

 

Louis shrugged and rolled over to face Harry. He tucked a thigh over Harry's and sighed. "I thought that maybe I could help, because I've been in his situation, but I don't think he appreciated me talking about myself." 

 

Harry frowned. "How do you mean?" 

 

"It's like," Louis huffed. "The situations are the same, but the people are different. We don't know how they fight. I told him to be ready for explosive, knock-down drag-out fights, because that's how ours were. They could fight completely different." 

 

Harry brushed his thumb across Louis' cheekbone. "Did you tell him how lovely the making up was?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. 

 

"I meant," Harry poked Louis in the stomach, letting his hand settled there. "When we finally realized that we're stupid, and we love each other. The fights were loud, but the making up was so quiet. We'd come together, finding each other in different rooms of the house. I'd keep real close to you, and I'd hear you crying, or cursing at me, or explaining to yourself in graphic detail how you'd kill me," 

 

Louis giggled into his palm. "I'd never kill you," He promised. "I can say that now, but if you'd have asked me a few years ago, I wouldn't be so sure on the answer." 

 

Harry gave him a knowing look. "I'd have deserved it a few years ago," He agreed. Continuing, he said, "But then, we'd just come together. We'd wrap around each other, impossibly tight, and everything would be okay." 

 

Louis sighed. "I wonder how they fight." He said. 

 

Harry kissed his temple. "Not our business, love." 

 

"But if they  _tell_ us, then it is our business." Louis reasoned, raising his eyebrows. 

 

"Don't  _ask_." Harry reiterated. "Or  _hint_. You're a nosy little thing." 

 

Louis harrumphed and wiggled further into Harry. "Am not." He said petulantly. "But whatever." 

 

Harry kissed the top of his head again. "Hey, I have a quick question." 

 

"Hm?" 

 

"That bag you had," Harry said. "What's in it?" 

 

Louis peeked up at him, grinning. "Oh, Harry, you'll  _love_ it. It's  _so_ nasty." 

 

Harry's eyebrows nearly flew off of his forehead. "Lingerie?" He asked hopefully. 

 

Louis nodded, biting his lower lip. "It's so filthy, H. And I bought it just for you." 

 

"Yeah?" Harry slid his hand from Louis' waist to his bum, squeezing a firm cheek. "Gonna wear it for me?" 

 

"For your birthday, yeah." Louis confirmed. "And the birthday boy gets anything he wants." 

 

Harry's eyes darkened. "That's right." He wasn't selfish in the bedroom by any means, always wanting to please Louis, though it should be the other way around. If he'd learned anything from their past, it's that being a good dominant meant, first and foremost, taking care of your submissive. He took that to heart and treated Louis like his queen. But dammit, on his birthday, he took what he could get. 

 

Louis lifted Harry's wrist and looked at his watch. "I think we should give them a few more minutes." He decided. 

 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. 

 

Louis yawned again into his palm and snuggled up against Harry. "This was all my plan, silly. Leave Niall and Liam together. Of course, it's  _brilliant_ that Liam was with the baby. Stir up some of that paternal instinct." 

 

"Baby, if anything, our children make people  _not_ want to have babies. Not the other way around." Harry reminded Louis. 

 

"They got that from you." Louis jabbed Harry in the stomach, grumbling when he felt how hard and firm Harry's abs were. He smoothed his hand across Harry's shirt, tucking his fingers into Harry's waistband. 

 

"Oh, no, no, no." Harry defended. "They are literally  _all_ you. They are  _hellions_ , Louis William Styles." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "Harold," He began, about to lay some knowledge upon Harry. "I am  _angelic_. Therefore, any babies grown in my stomach are  _also_ angelic. These are the facts of life. I'm sorry that you live in denial." 

 

Harry laughed, his chest moving, making Louis' head bounce around a bit. "I love you more than life itself." He sighed. "And let's split the blame, hm? Cause I'm really quite fond of them." 

 

"I'm glad. I spent so much time making them for you. And I can't possibly return them. Out of warranty and everything." Louis shrugged, sighing sleepily into Harry's shirt. 

 

"I've probably said this a million times, and I'm going to say it a million more," Harry whispered, pressing his lips to Louis' forehead. "But I'm really insanely happy that you're the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with." 

 

"If I say it back," Louis drawled slowly, tilting his head to blink at Harry through sleepy eyes. "Can I convince you to watch the kids while I nap?" 

 

"Baby, that's not even a question." Harry assured him. "You let me know when you need some rest and you'll get it, by God. And yes," He pecked Louis' forehead. "You absolutely can nap. Get your beauty rest and all that." 

 

He stirred, getting ready to move, when Louis' small fist clutched his shirt. He glanced down at his spouse with curiosity. 

 

"Maybe," Louis began. "If we stay up here and ignore them, we can  _both_ nap." 

 

Harry lowered himself back down onto the mattress, resuming his position as Louis' pillow. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around." 

 

-

 

 

An hour and fifty-two minutes later, both groggy from their nap, Harry and Louis headed downstairs. They had to pass their children and Niall and Liam's children, who were all playing upstairs. Bean, Finn, Lucas, and Ollie and Theo were all in Bean's room, playing with realistic dinosaur toys. Olivia and Bella had Charlotte and Jane in their room, and Archie was chasing Duke and Pancake around throughout each room.

  
When they got downstairs, they realized why the kids were all upstairs. Niall and Liam were fighting in the kitchen. Louis could tell they were trying to be quiet, but couldn't help it.

 

"What should we do?" Louis looked up at Harry. They were both standing on the bottom step of the staircase, apprehensive. "Should we break it up?"

 

"Would we have wanted someone to break us up?" Harry asked right back.

 

Louis shrugged and tried to get a glimpse into the kitchen. "Damn beautiful new dining room." He cursed. "I don't know. Would we? I mean, we'd be embarrassed."

 

Harry nodded. "Right. And we would have stopped."

 

"So we agree? Interrupt?"

 

Harry nodded and took the final step. "We can't have them fighting in our house like this." He said. "Not with the kids."

 

"Speaking of, where's - " Louis began, but right on cue, Atticus began to wail. "My good boy. _Thank you_." He headed towards the den, where Atticus was laying in his bouncer. Kicking and red-faced, he didn't calm down when Louis picked him up. 

 

A few seconds later, Niall entered, looking emotional. "Oh, hey." He waved awkwardly. "Sorry about..." He gestured to the kitchen awkwardly.

 

"It's fine." He replied. "Are you two okay? You got kind of loud there."

 

Niall grew red. At least he had the decency to be embarrassed. "Yeah, I think. It's just hard to get through to him sometimes."  

 

Louis agreed. "Yeah, I know. Um, is he staying the night?" Louis nodded towards the kitchen, where he could hear the low murmur of Harry and Liam. "Not saying he can't. He's more than welcome, we'll just have to clear out one of the kids's rooms."

 

Niall glanced towards the kitchen, and shook his head. "No. I don't know why he stayed the night in the first place. I don't know why he followed us here to begin with." 

 

"It's probably hard for him to be away from you all." Louis hypothesized. "I'm sure if he left with the kids, you'd follow them too." 

 

"I'd be too numb." Niall corrected. "I wouldn't know what to do." 

 

Louis thought for a moment. "You're right. I'd be lost." He couldn't imagine Harry packing up and leaving with the kids. He would die. "I'll go and fix up the guest room. Do you think Finn is okay with sleeping with Bean and Lucas again?" 

 

"He should be. He just thinks of it as a sleepover." Niall answered. "Did he say anything about our...situation? Have you heard him talking to the boys about it?" 

 

"I haven't." Louis promised. "I think they just think of it as a sleepover." 

 

Niall sighed with relief. The last thing he wanted was for his kids to know about their problems. "Good." 

 

"I'll go and make up the guest room. You just settle in." He couldn't help but coddle Niall a bit. He'd been in the same position multiple times. It just wasn't fun. He headed upstairs for the guest room. He had maybe been in it for two minutes when Harry came in. 

 

"Were we as bad as they are?" He asked, closing the door behind him. 

 

Louis nodded, fluffing up the pillows. "Worse, H. We signed divorce papers." He reminded his dominant. "And we have to get a bigger house. Or renovate the attic and move up there. We've got virtually no space." 

 

"Or, we could just have less kids." Harry suggested, pulling the comforter straight. He smoothed it over with his hand. 

 

Louis glared at him. "I mean it. Liam had to sleep on the bloody couch."

 

"Why didn't he just sleep in the downstairs guest room?" Harry frowned. 

 

"Because it's storage." Louis answered. 

 

"Yes," Harry nodded. "But the bed is still in there."

 

Louis stopped fluffing and looked at him. "I thought you got rid of it." 

 

"No? Why would I do that?" Harry sat on the edge of the bed. He wrapped an arm around Louis' waist and tugged his little lover between his legs. "You're so beautiful." 

 

"Now is  _not_ the time to sweet talk." Louis groaned, pushing at Harry. "We've got guests to feed and nowhere for them to sleep." 

 

"How about this," Harry began. "Let Niall in the guest room upstairs and I'll pump up the air bed for Finn." 

 

"I don't think Liam is staying here." Louis told him. "So no one has to stay in the downstairs." He stepped out from between Harry's legs and grabbed his hand. "Such a small space." He shook his head. 

 

"I stupidly offered Liam my apartment until I realized that he had their house to himself." Harry laughed. 

 

Louis paused. "What apartment?" He asked, turning to face Harry. "Harry...do you still have the apartment?" 

 

Harry nodded. "I told you I did." 

 

"No, you used it against me in a fight!" Louis reminded him with a hiss. "I can't believe you still have it! You made me feel so bad when you told me you still had it!" 

 

"Baby, I don't ever stay there." Harry tried to calm him down. He rubbed his hands up and down Louis' arms. 

 

"That doesn't matter!" Louis groaned. Honestly, sometimes Harry was just too daft. "You still have it! Which means that you still think that you need it." He crossed his arms and looked up at Harry. 

 

Harry lasted maybe two seconds before grinning. "I'm trying to be serious, baby," He apologized. "But I can't. You're so fucking beautiful." 

 

Despite the blush creeping up onto his cheeks, Louis held firm. "Harry," He chastised. "Stop it." 

 

"Stop what?" Harry asked, dimples popping out. 

 

"Stop being so charming." He snapped back. "I'm trying to argue with you." 

 

"So we'll have makeup sex?" Harry asked hopefully. "Please say yes." 

 

"No!" Louis shoved at Harry's stomach. Harry was moving closer to him and it was honestly frustrating. Harry was irresistible and he was trying to be serious. "No makeup sex." 

 

"Is this bothering you?" Harry stepped closer, grinning down at Louis. His green eyes were sparkling, and Louis was so in love. 

 

"Yes." He answered dryly. 

 

"Would it be okay if I locked this door?" Harry asked, reaching behind Louis. He turned the lock. 

 

"Yes." Louis nodded. 

 

"And would it be okay if we got into that bed right there?" He slid his hands down Louis' sides. He felt Louis grow weaker. He loved the way Louis' body fell into his. 

 

"Yes." Louis blinked. He looked up at Harry through his eyelashes. He knew it drove Harry crazy. 

 

"And would you allow me to make love to you?" Harry circled his hands around Louis' wrists and tugged him to the bed. They fell on it together, for the second time of the day. As he hovered over Louis, Harry would honestly never get over just how much he loved Louis. It shocked him sometimes at just how much he loved his little spouse. 

 


	49. Chapter 49

Louis sighed as he went outside to get the mail. It had been a week, and Niall and his kids were still living with them. He loved Niall to death, and he loved Finn and Charlotte and Jane to death, but he needed a break. He loved his friend in small doses, Harry would say. He was half-tempted to sit Liam and Niall down in front of each other and not let them get up until things were resolved. 

 

He opened the mailbox and pulled out the thick stack of envelopes and packages. Shuffling through them, he made his way back into the house. At least all the kids, except for two, were in school. There was some peace. He went into the kitchen and sat down, tossing the junk mail to the side. 

 

A large, thick, cream-colored envelope with a wax seal caught his eye. " _Hollis_ _Preparatory_?" He read to himself, frowning. He slid a finger under the seal and popped it. He pulled out a thick piece of paper and read it over. 

 

" _We here at Hollis Preparatory are invested in not only molding the minds of the future generation, but doing so in a private, prestigious environment. With our unparalleled education system and our exquisite campus, Hollis Preparatory is designed with only the intention of instilling the youth of today with the knowledge of tomorrow_." He rolled his eyes. "Oh, give me a break." 

 

Curiosity got the best of him, and he read on, eyebrows raising with each word he read. " _Carrying on a legacy at Hollis is the greatest gift you could give your child(ren). The Dean of Admissions would be honored to enroll all eligible Styles' children at the start of the fall semester._ Carry on a legacy? What?" Did Harry go to Hollis? 

 

" _Mr. Styles, we look forward to hearing back from you. Regards, Dean of Admissions, Hollis Preparatory."_

 

He sat the paper down and frowned at it. Harry was a prep school kid? He would have known if Harry was a prep school kid. He would have known it right away. Then again, Harry was pretty bougie when he wanted to be, and sometimes a bit stuck-up. Never in public, and never where people could watch him and judge. 

 

He chuckled to himself. "He was  _totally_ a prep school kid." 

 

He stood and threw the junk mail away, but put the invitation from Hollis up in a safe place. He'd definitely ask Harry about it later. He wanted to know every little bit of Harry's time in prep school. 

 

He was laughing to himself, imaging Harry in a little cardigan and khakis, when Niall walked in. 

 

His friend glanced around, confused smile on his lips. "Who are you talking to?" He asked. 

 

"Niall, get this," Louis began, composing himself. "Harry was in prep school!" 

 

"What?" Niall sat down, floored. "I mean, I can totally see it, but  _what_?" 

 

Louis nodded excitedly. He handed Niall the envelope. "I had no idea." 

 

Niall skimmed over the letter, eyebrows raising. "So, they want to enroll all eligible Styles' kids into the upcoming year?" He handed the envelope back to Louis. "Are you going to do it?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "I mean, I'd have to research it  _extensively._ The school they're in now was the best one around, and conveniently located in our neighborhood. I have no idea where Hollis is or what they stand for." 

 

"I'm sure Harry will tell you all about it." 

 

Louis shook his head. "No, he might be biased towards it. He might think it's really great, or he could have had one bad experience that makes him hate it. I want to form my own opinion about it." 

 

"That's smart." Niall said. "Are you going to ask him about it when he gets back?" 

 

Louis glanced at the clock. It was a little past noon, and Harry said he'd be back from the office by one-thirty. If he wanted to do as much research on it as he could, he'd have to start right then. 

 

"Go on, I'll watch the boys." Niall shooed, reading his best friend's mind. "Do your research, make an informed decision, yada yada." 

 

"Thank you!" Louis called, taking the stairs. He decided to do his research in Harry's office, where it would be quiet. He hoped that Niall wouldn't tell Archer where he was. When most of his babies were younger, they  _hated_ Harry's office for some reason. It scared them. But Archer loved to go in it and bother Harry as much as he could. It wasn't really a bother to Harry, and he loved it when Archie ventured in to see him. 

 

He sat down at Harry's fancy desk and lifted his laptop lid. The screen lit up, and it was of him, of course it was. It was right after he'd had Atty, and he was sitting up in the hospital bed. The picture looked artistic, with a ray of sunlight beaming in right on top of them. Harry was so gifted, and a complete and utter sap. 

 

He opened the search engine and typed in  _Hollis Preparatory Academy_. Three seconds later, he had thousands of results. The first result was the official webpage for the Academy, but the results after that only mentioned Hollis. He read a few. 

 

" _Hollis Preparatory Academy Hosts Alum Ball, Raises Millions for Charity._ " That was pretty good. " _Hollis Student Leads Footie Team to National Championship_.  _Steven Hawking to Lead Seminar at Hollis Preparatory Academy's Science Week._ " 

 

He decided he liked what he was reading, so he clicked on the homepage. "Beautiful campus...beautiful buildings...oh,  _big_ footie field." He read, clicking through the website. "Bean could do footie. Ballet for Lucas... _great_ ballet program. Good science programs, good business programs. Top rated education system. _Ninety-eight percent of graduating students enter the workforce within six months of graduating._ _Ninety-six percent have found professional careers._ That's not bad." 

 

The more he read about Hollis, the more he liked it. He'd formed his own opinion on it, and now he could ask Harry. 

 

-

 

He decided to wait until bedtime to ask Harry about Hollis Prep. He didn't want the kids to overhear and start asking questions. They put their kids to bed, gave them kisses, and headed towards their bedroom. The ten second walk down the hallway, Louis' mind was on the envelope sitting in their dresser drawer. 

 

When they got to the bedroom, Harry stripped down immediately, barely waiting until the door was closed. It was remarkable how quickly he could get to his underwear. Louis was impressed. 

 

"So," He began casually, picking up Harry's clothes. They were still warm. He folded them over his arm and leaned against his vanity. "I was thinking about maybe sending the boys to a prep school." 

 

Harry didn't bat an eye. "Really?" He asked. His voice was even. 

 

"Yeah. I think it would be good for them." He sat Harry's clothes down. "What do you think?" 

 

Harry shrugged and pulled the duvet down the bed. "I mean, it couldn't hurt to look into it. I think a little reform would do them some good." 

 

Louis made a face. "If you're suggesting that they're undisciplined heathens - " 

 

"I'm not," Harry interrupted. "I'm just saying that prep schools are more..." 

 

"Disciplined." Louis guessed. 

 

"Yes, but they also have high standards. There would be no slacking off. The kids would really have to buckle down. I think it would be great for them to realize that working hard in school pays off." 

 

Louis blinked. Harry's inner prep school kid was showing. "I agree." He said slowly. Why was Harry agreeing with him? Harry was supposed to admit to having gone to Hollis. Did he like it, then? 

 

"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. He stretched, and Louis tried not to let his bulging muscles distract him. 

 

"Actually," He turned and rifled through the dresser drawer. "We got a letter from Hollis Preparatory Academy today." He stepped across the room and handed it to Harry, who was unfazed. 

 

"Oh, great." Harry began reading it. "I was beginning to think they'd never reply." 

 

Louis paused. "Wait,  _what_?" 

 

Harry glanced up at him and sat the letter aside. "Yeah, I mailed them a few weeks ago. I'm decent friends with the Dean, and I'm sure with a few generous donations, the kids could get in sooner."

 

"Again,  _what_?" Louis was baffled. 

 

Harry chuckled. "You look confused, baby." 

 

Louis nodded slowly. "I am." He confirmed. 

 

"Why?" 

 

"You never told me you went to Hollis!" Louis shrilled. He flapped his hands around. 

 

Harry looked puzzled. "I'm sure I did." 

 

"I'm sure you did not." Louis griped. 

 

"Well," Harry leaned back against the pillows. "I did. It was okay. I think the kids would like it better. They'd start younger than I was. They're more impressionable. And I think the distance would be good." 

 

"Distance?" Louis asked. Admittedly, it was the only word he heard out of Harry's mouth. "What distance?" 

 

"You didn't look it up at all?" Harry asked. Louis  _always_ researched things in great detail. Surely distance would have been the first thing he caught. 

 

"No!" 

 

"It's four hours away." Harry told him. 

 

There was a moment of silence, and then, "My babies are  _not_ going to a prep school four hours away! It will be a cold day in hell before I let them venture off at their age. Why would you suggest this?" 

 

Harry was confused. "You loved Hollis two minutes ago!" He reminded Louis. "You were just telling me how great it was!" 

 

" _Yes_ ," Louis stressed, climbing onto the bed. He sat on his knees and stared at Harry. "But I've changed my mind. Our children will go to the same mediocre private school and get the same mediocre education. Besides," He curled up next to Harry. "It's not where you get your education. It's what you do with it." 

 

"Just let me know," Harry reached out and clicked the bedside lamp off. "I can shell out fifty-thousand euros per child a year to send them to Hollis, or I can stick with the measly fifteen thousand euros a year for the one they're at now." 

 

Louis laughed against Harry's chest. "Really, thank you. I would have sent them to school anywhere. You didn't have to enroll them in this great one." 

 

"Yes I did. You really liked it, and you want what's best for them." Harry kissed the top of Louis' head. "Just think about Hollis. It's three months on, three months off. You could do that, right?" 

 

Louis mulled it over. It was obviously something that would take him days to think about. He couldn't make a snap decision right then. "I'll think about it." He promised. "You know, if someone were to tell me that ten years ago, I'd be laying in bed with  _you_ , and dreaming about which private school to send our children, I'd have thought they were nuts." 

 

Harry gave Louis an amused little chuckle. "I think we're so meant to be that I would end up finding you. I'd fight the system to have you." 

 

"Breaking laws," Louis clutched at his heart. "I'm swooning." 

 

Harry pouted. "All in the name of love." He proclaimed. "It's fine when it deals with love." 

 

Louis snuggled up closer. "Then I guess you're okay. I'd visit you in jail." 

 

"Conjugal visits, I hope." Harry cracked. "I can't go very long without your bum in my face. Or on my lap. Or on my co - " 

 

"I get it." Louis pressed a hand to Harry's mouth and lifted his head. He glanced across the room at Atty's bassinet. As of late, the four month old had become more observant. He would recognize some words and react to them. Louis did  _not_ want his baby to learn the word  _cock_. " _Dirty_." He chastised quietly.

 

"True," Harry agreed. "But you still love it." 

 

"I love  _you_. There's a difference." Louis corrected. "Now, let me sleep. We have a long day of deciding on our kids's education." 

 

With another kiss to Louis' forehead, Harry settled in and closed his eyes. "And let's try not to ruin them completely." He tacked on. "It's vital that they become functioning members of society." 

 

Louis mumbled something incoherently. Harry felt his hot breath against his chest and he smiled. Louis was probably agreeing with him. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know prep schools in the UK are different from the ones in America, but expand your minds for the sake of fiction
> 
> also: should they send their kids to a prep school? y or n


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F I F T Y C H A P T E R S OF STORY SEVEN CAN I GET AN AMEN
> 
> but this is short and i apologize. i have nine thousand other fics to update

Over the next few days, Louis really considered Hollis for his children. Obviously, it was a great school with great programs. He would have no trouble signing them up if Hollis were in London, but sadly, it was not. Four hours may not seem like a great big distance, but to him, it might as well be halfway around the world. His children meant way too much to him. He couldn't send them to a school four hours away. They were still so young. They needed him. 

 

He was focusing so hard on the list of pros and cons he made that he didn't hear anyone enter the kitchen. He was so focused on making sure he made the right decision. It was tough. 

 

"Are you  _still_ looking at that thing?" Niall asked, opening the fridge. Again, it was a quiet day at the house, with the kids in school, Archie off somewhere playing, and Atty asleep in the den. 

 

Louis looked up. "Yes. Niall, it's  _so_ hard. What would you do?" 

 

Niall shrugged. "It's a good opportunity - " 

 

"An  _amazing_ opportunity," Louis stressed. 

 

" - An  _amazing_ opportunity," Niall continued, pulling out different things to make a sandwich. "But you're focused on the distance. If you can't handle it, then don't send them." 

 

"I don't want to rob them of a good education." Louis sighed, pushing the paper away. "I would feel guilty." 

 

"They're getting a good education now." Niall pointed out. "And the school is right in the neighborhood. Here, you see them every morning and every evening. Every weekend." 

 

"I completely forgot about that," Louis gasped. "Who would wake them up in the mornings? They have different ways of getting up. I don't want some dorm mother banging on their doors. It makes them cranky. And they need a good breakfast every morning." 

 

"I'm sure with a school as good as Hollis, they have good wake-up calls and quality breakfasts." Niall told him. "But if you don't think they can do it better than you, then why send them?" 

 

Louis shrugged. "I told Harry I'd think about it." 

 

"What does he think of all of this?" Niall brought his finished sandwich to the table and began eating. At fifteen weeks pregnant, he was cute and glowing. When Louis was fifteen weeks pregnant, he felt like a whale. Damn Harry Styles and his massive baby genes. 

 

Louis propped his head up on his hand. "He likes the idea, but it's up to me. He thinks if the kids go now, while they're still young, they'll like it better. Something about them being impressionable. What would you and Liam do?" 

 

Niall stiffened. "Well, it would be hard to figure out, because we haven't spoken in two weeks." 

 

"He hasn't tried to get ahold of you?" Louis raised his eyebrows. It wasn't like Liam to up and abandon his pregnant spouse and children. 

 

Niall shrugged and looked a tad guilty. "He has," He said quietly. "But I don't want to talk to him. I mean, I do. But I don't. You know?" 

 

Louis nodded. He knew,  _boy_ , did he know. "You're stubborn. But also pregnant. I know what you're going through. Have you ever thought that maybe Liam  _is_ excited?" 

 

Niall shook his head. "He's not. It's the way he acts. I can tell." 

 

"You know, he can be excited and not show it." Louis pointed out. "Harry was like that for a bit. They get better. Liam is head over heels for you and your babies." 

 

Niall stayed silent, and was now picking at his sandwich. His appetite had diminished. He really missed Liam. Was he just too prideful or was Liam really in the wrong? Did he blow everything out of proportion? 

 

"What did you do?" He asked. "How did you handle everything?" 

 

"Which time?" Louis joked. Then, his smile faded and he shrugged. "I had to put on an act, for the kids. Of course, Bean sort of knew what was going on. He's very intuitive, but when Harry left and got his apartment, I sort of realized that things were real. He didn't go and get a hotel room. He wasn't leaving temporarily, so I had to be strong for the kids. It was like we were divorced, but not really. We exchanged kids every few days and didn't speak." 

 

Niall swallowed hard. He didn't want that to happen to him and Liam. "What else? I need to know everything. I need to know what to expect." 

 

Louis gave him a sad look. "It won't be that way with you two." He said. "Harry and I are perfect for each other, in every single way, but when we fight, it's explosive. We fought a lot. I began to feel neglected, you know?" 

 

Niall nodded. 

 

"I just wanted his attention, negative or positive, so I filed for divorce." Louis sighed. "I figured he'd come barreling home and demand why I did it, but he didn't. He signed them and sent them back. You don't know how that feels until it happens to you. I felt like dying. It was the most awful feeling, and to top it off, I was pregnant. I just felt like he was abandoning us." 

 

"Obviously, you're going to feel a different range of emotions when you're pregnant," Niall pointed out. He felt sick though. He hated that Louis had to go through that and he hated that he might be getting ready to go through it. 

 

"Right," Louis nodded. "It was just an awful experience, and it was almost four years ago. Harry  _still_ apologizes for it. I hate it when he does that. It's not all his fault." 

 

"I'm glad you two are fine now." Niall said, voice breaking towards the end. 

 

Louis gave him a pitying look. "Call Liam." He advised, reaching across the table. He grasped Niall's hand. "It will do you both good. I promise." 

 

"When?" He asked, biting his lip. "What if he doesn't answer? What if - " 

 

"Niall," Louis cut in. "He'll answer. If I know Liam, and I do, he's waiting by the phone. So go, call him. I'll make lunch or order something," He shrugged, already opening the drawer specified for takeout menus. "I don't know." 

 

Niall stood. He looked so nervous. "I'm going to go upstairs to call him. Is Archie down here?" 

 

Louis blinked at his friend. "I don't know." He answered. He sat the menus down and skirted around the kitchen island. "I should probably look for him." If Archie was his first and only child, he would be running through the house, worried that he was hurt or getting into a mess. But since Archie was not his first, he casually strolled through the house, finally finding Archie in the downstairs guest room, coloring. 

 

"Hi!" Archie greeted, grinning up at Louis with his small, white teeth. He had three different crayons in his little fist, and he was drawing big circles. 

 

"Hi, love," He crouched down and ruffled Archie's hair. "Are you hungry?" 

 

Archie nodded. "Yes." He answered. 

 

"Would you like to come and help me decide what to have?" 

 

Archie nodded and abandoned his crayons in favor of standing up and collapsing dramatically into Louis' embrace. Louis caught with with a laugh and carried Archie into the kitchen. He sat the toddler on the counters and  made sure to keep an arm around him as he picked up the takeout menus again. 

 

"What would you like, my love?" He asked. "Do you want mummy to cook something or do you want the nice takeout man to bring us something?" 

 

Archie flashed a smile and pointed to a takeout menu. "Takeout." He requested politely. He kicked his little feet back and forth. 

 

"You got it." Louis held up different menus to Archie, nodding in agreement when Archie chose pizza. He raised smart children. He picked up his phone and dialed, ordering their usual, adding a few things because of the extra mouths they were currently feeding. Once done, he sat Archie down onto the ground and mindlessly scrolled through his Facebook. He had ninety-six notifications, a result of not checking his social media in days. 

 

As he was scrolling, two big hands curled around his hips, making him jump and clutch his phone. He turned, ready to punch. It was Harry, grinning like the cat who got the cream. 

 

"You dick." He put his hand over his racing heart. "You scared me!" 

 

Harry nuzzled his nose against Louis' neck. "Sorry," He muttered, not sounding sorry at all. He sounded proud of himself. "Did I hear you order pizza?" 

 

"You sure did." Louis confirmed. "Are you okay? You're awfully cuddly right now." 

 

And he was. He was wrapped around Louis like an octopus, trying to absorb as much as his little spouse as possible. He shrugged. "Hard day." Was his answer. 

 

Louis began rubbing circles onto his back. "Do you want to go lay down? I can bring you some food when it gets here." He looked at the clock. Fridays were short days for the kids at school, and he would have to go and get them soon. 

 

Harry always denied it when Louis asked, but he nodded his head, surprising Louis. "Yeah, I think I will." He sighed against Louis' neck and pulled away, after stealing a kiss. 

 

"Go lay down, my love." Louis urged, smoothing a hand down Harry's back. "It's Friday, no work tomorrow." 

 

Harry nodded and mumbled something as he left the kitchen. Louis watched him go sympathetically. Rarely did Harry let on to how bad his days were. He was usually quiet and kept to himself. It always bugged Louis. He preferred to know what Harry was thinking and feeling. 

 

As he waited for the pizza to be delivered, he managed to get updated on his Facebook notifications, like a post, and reprimand Archie for pulling all of their DVD's out of the cabinet. He couldn't be too mad, though, because Archie gave him a dimply smile, kissed his cheek, and helped put them back in. 

 

The doorbell rang just as he made sure the cabinet was locked. He stood, knees cracking, and he winced. He felt so old. He grabbed Harry's wallet, conveniently abandoned on the hall table, and swung the door open, briefly wondering if Niall was still talking to Liam. 

 

"Styles?" The pizza girl asked, eyes wide as she took in the house before her. 

 

"Yes." He opened Harry's wallet. "You said how much it was on the phone, but I forgot." 

 

She gave him a nice smile and repeated it back. "You have a beautiful home," She complimented. 

 

"Thanks, doll." He flashed her a smile and pulled a couple extra notes out. "Surely you'll need this money." 

 

She nodded and took the money, handing him the goodies. "University." She answered. "You have a great day!" 

 

"You too!" He called after her, turning and closing the door. "Archie, love? Lunch is ready! We have to hurry up and eat so we can get your siblings from school!" He deposited the food onto the counters and pulled some plates out. "Archie!" 

 

"Atty is awake." Niall said from behind him. He looked...happy. Maybe he and Liam worked things out. 

 

"Shit. I mean shoot." He glanced towards the kitchen entryway, where Archie was strolling in. He was wearing nothing but his pull-up. Louis could only roll his eyes. Archie was just like Harry. 

 

"I'll serve Archie if you want to go and feed him." Niall offered. He was already opening the pizza. His appetite never diminished, and he was pregnant again, so he was always eating. 

 

"Sure. Thanks." Louis headed to the den, where Archie was beginning to cry. Louis lifted him up and held him close. "Oh, sweet boy. What's wrong now? Are you hungry? Or perhaps you need a diaper change?" 

 

He busied himself, changing Atty's diaper and snapping his little onesie back on. He carried him to the kitchen, where Niall and Archie were sitting at the table, eating their food. He began making a bottle. Once done, he popped it in Atty's mouth and grabbed his own food, one-handed. 

 

"Early out today?" Niall asked, referring to the kids. 

 

Louis nodded, sitting. He balanced Atty in the crook of one elbow, steadying his bottle. Atty was picky about that. "I have to run and pick them up here in about forty minutes. I might go grocery shopping then. Would you like to come?" 

 

"Actually," Niall blushed. "Liam and I are going to dinner." 

 

"That's great!" Louis crowed. "Are you two working things out?" 

 

Niall nodded. "He suggested that we go out. Said we needed to talk. He misses the kids." 

 

"He's over here everyday." Louis pointed out. 

 

"I know, but." Niall shrugged. "He misses waking up with them and just being around them all day. I hate that I've taken that away from him." 

 

"I know," Louis sympathized. "But everything will be okay soon. You two will talk tonight and hopefully settle things. I love having you and the kids here, but you will feel  _so_ much better when you're in your house with Liam again. You don't realize how much you miss it."

 

"I guess so. I think he's warming up to the idea of a fourth kid." Niall added. 

 

"Well, he'd better. Ready or not, you're going to pop out a kid soon." Louis cracked. 

 

With a small smile, Niall continued. "I mentioned that I have my sonogram appointment in a few days, and he said he'd go. I mean, I obviously knew he'd go, but just hearing him say it, without me asking, just made me feel better." 

 

"I know." Louis replied. Boy, did he know. "I really am happy for you both. And before you ask, yes, we'll watch the kids." 

 

Niall laughed. "Thanks, Louis. You're my best friend. Truly." 

 

A warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped Louis' insides. He reached across the table and put his hand on Niall's. "Same here," He said. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." 

 


	51. Chapter 51

Louis sipped his margarita and read the open letter in his hand. His other hand was busy making sure the strips of sirloin weren't going to burn. He decided to make fajitas for dinner, to surprise Harry. He was in a good mood until he had decided to read the letter from the Council. He frowned when he finished. Glancing at the clock, he decided to focus on it when Harry got home in a few minutes. 

 

As he prepared dinner, margarita never leaving his hand once, his eyes flickered up to the clock every now and then. When the numbers flicked to five-thirty, he heard the front door click open. Harry was right on cue. He sipped his drink and counted the seconds, knowing exactly how long it took. When he hit the number thirteen, strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he was enveloped in a cloud of Harry's sweet cologne. 

 

"Drinking a bit early, aren't we dear?" Harry murmured, kissing his temple. 

 

"Don't worry, I made you one too." Louis assured him. "It's in the freezer." 

 

Harry stepped away, eager to drink after the rough day he'd had. "A margarita slush. Just what I like." He opened the freezer door and grabbed his frosty margarita. "What possessed you to cook dinner tonight?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes and tended to the food on the stove. "You say that as if I never cook." He said. "When, in fact, you've gained a bit of a tummy since you've married me." 

 

Harry looked down at his stomach. It was flat, but his damned love handles. Those were the bane of his existence. "I just can't resist." He grinned. "You looked troubled when I came in. What's up?" 

 

Louis picked the letter up off of the counter and passed it to Harry. "I don't know if I understand it, and I hope I don't. I think the Council is making up mandatory classes for kids Bean's age." 

 

Harry frowned and pulled the letter out of the opened envelope. "What? They can't do that." 

 

"Read it," Louis urged. "It's not a bad idea, but kids that young have  _no_ idea what any of that means." 

 

Harry scanned over the letter, face settling into anger. "I'll be damned if someone is going to sit my eleven year old son down and teach him the right and wrong ways to spank somebody." He growled. "Fuck that. If it passes, the kids aren't enrolling." 

 

Louis agreed. "It would be so much more beneficial if they took it a year before they had to take their tests. That way no one will be going in blind." 

 

"I mean it, Louis. We'll move if we have to. That's just too much." Harry tossed the letter aside and picked up his drink. He downed half of the icy concoction down in one go. "Any more?" He asked. 

 

Louis pointed towards the blender. "Help yourself. You look like you need it." 

 

Harry nodded and poured himself some more. "I'm so mad." He sat himself down at the kitchen island. "Who do they think they are?" 

 

"I know, babe." Louis nodded along. "But what can we do?" 

 

"I'm a very crucial part of society. I'll fight this stupid thing into the ground. I will not allow my children to learn how to tie someone up sexually when they're this young. It's fucking ridiculous." 

 

"Try not to let it get to you." Louis soothed. "It will eat away at you all night, and I was looking forward to some sex tonight." 

 

At the mention of sex, Harry perked up. 

 

"That's right," Louis confirmed. "Just drink your margarita, we'll eat some fajitas, put the kids to bed, and then do all sorts of nasty things in the comfort of our own room, okay?" 

 

"I can never turn down margaritas, fajitas, and sex. Especially all in one night." Harry sounded eager already. "Count me in, baby. I'm all for the nasty stuff." 

 

-

 

 

 They ended up in bed, watching late television and snacking on chips. That was the nasty stuff that they did. Harry wasn't complaining, because he quite enjoyed it, but he would have also enjoyed a bit of frivolous sex. 

 

"Do you think that the girls would have had to take a class too?" Louis asked, breaking the silence. 

 

Harry glanced over at him. "What?" 

 

"The mandatory classes," Louis reminded him. "Do you think everyone has to do it?" 

 

"No one in this house is doing it, I'm sorry." Harry was truly, one hundred percent unapologetic. "I refuse to have my children taught that. They're young, for Christ's sake." 

 

"Some would argue that it's beneficial." Louis countered, muting the TV. 

 

Harry cocked a brow. "Are you one of those people?" 

 

"No! I don't want them to learn about that stuff either." Louis said. 

 

"I think I'm going to go down to the Council tomorrow and counter it." Harry said. 

 

"Counter it with what?" Louis asked. 

 

Harry shrugged. "Maybe a mandatory class a year before they take the test? Their minds will be more developed, more open to the world around them. They'll understand things a lot better if they're seventeen and take the course. Not eleven and under." 

 

"That's a good idea." Louis said quietly. "I really hope they consider your offer." 

 

"How could they not? I'm a crucial part of today's society. I own a fourth of London." Harry sounded so pretentious when he said it, but it was true. His business owned several hotels and restaurants and other businesses around London. "I won't hesitate to take them head on." 

 

Louis' eyes narrowed. "It turns me on when you talk like that." He said, moving himself. He swung a leg over and straddled Harry's lap. 

 

Harry instantly perked up. "It does?" He asked, in grateful surprise. 

 

Louis bit his lip and nodded. 

 

"Well then," He said, sitting up. His hands curled around Louis' hips. "You're gonna love what else this mouth will do." 

 

-

 

 

Sometimes Harry loved fighting with Louis. Those fights were the ones that ended with lots of sex and clinging on Louis' part. Sometimes he hated fighting with Louis. Those fights were meant to hurt, flinging words and sometimes whatever was closest. Those fights ended with tears and slamming doors.

 

They hadn't fought in awhile, Harry thought, watching as Louis walked away from him. They were due for a nasty one, and thankfully, as he followed Louis, fists clenching in anger, the only one home was Atty, and he was sleeping peacefully. Harry felt bad for yelling.

 

"You know I hate it when you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" He snapped, standing in the kitchen doorway.

 

Louis shrugged. "I don't care, Harry." He replied nonchalantly.

 

"Do you ever take anything serious?" Harry shouted, voice booming through the kitchen. It timed perfectly with a loud clap of thunder and a strike of lightening outside. He watched as Louis turned to look out the window. Sheets of rain were coming down so thick it was hard to see. Wind was blowing and it was an all around catastrophe outside.

 

"Louis!" Harry snapped his fingers. "I swear to God, you have the attention span of a gnat."

 

Louis narrowed his eyes. "Excuse you!"

 

Harry threw his hands up. "I can't talk to you. It's like talking to a fucking brick wall."

 

Louis rolled his eyes.

 

Anger flared up inside of Harry. Before he could do or say anything he regretted, he headed towards the back door, the one that lead to the garage, grabbing his keys. "I'm not going to stand here and talk to you."

 

"You're not leaving," Louis told him. "You're stupid if you think you can drive in this."

 

"It's a whole hell of a lot better than being here with you right now." Harry replied, voice cold.

 

Louis made a face, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and made a snap decision. He pulled the keys right out of Harry's hands and took off running.

 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He heard Harry yell.

 

It prompted him to run faster, and soon, the thrill of being chased overtook his anger. He ran through the dining room and down the hallway. He paused in the foyer, glancing back. A loud squeal left his mouth when he realized that Harry was hot on his trail, blazing mad.

 

He ran up the stairs as fast as he could and turned sharply, running down the hallway to their bedroom. He threw the door closed behind him, but it was quickly flung open by Harry. It hit the wall with a loud thud. He ran over to Atty's bassinet and used it as a shield. Harry wouldn't try anything with a sleeping baby between them. 

 

"Louis!" Harry warned, nostrils flaring with anger. "Give me my keys." 

 

Ignoring Harry's question, Louis glanced down at Atticus. "Look at this baby," He urged. 

 

" _Louis_ ," Harry warned. 

 

"Just  _look_ ," Louis repeated. "Look at him! I made him just for you." He smiled sweetly at Harry. 

 

"Right now, you're making me mad." Harry said through clenched teeth. 

 

Realizing that Atty wouldn't be a buffer for very much longer, he crossed the room and  jumped onto the bed, thinking that he could clear it and be on the other side in no time. Obviously, with Harry's ridiculously long longs and ridiculously long arms, it didn't happen. He was tackled from behind and fell face first into the pillows.

 

He laid there for a bit, trying to catch his breath. He was pleasantly surprised when Harry laid on top of him. He figured that being so angry, Harry would want to snatch his keys up and leave. He laid there for a bit longer before wiggling around, grunting when Harry's dead weight wouldn't move an inch. 

 

When he finally got situated on his back, he glanced down. Harry's chin was resting on his stomach, and he was looking at Louis expectantly. 

 

"Hello." Louis wiggled a few fingers. 

 

Harry wiggled a few ring-covered fingers back but said nothing. 

 

"You're probably wondering why I took your keys." He tiptoed a few of his fingers down and buried them in Harry's hair. "It's because I love you." 

 

"I love you too." Was Harry's immediate response. 

 

"And it's raining. And you almost died the last time you drove in this weather." He continued, patting himself on the back when he didn't start crying. "And as much as I love your money, I love you a lot more. So I would really just prefer you to stay alive." 

 

He kept his eyes on the ceiling, even as his hips were squeezed. He felt Harry move up, and a few seconds later, bright green eyes and a big nose were blocking his vision. He giggled quietly when a few of Harry's curls tickled his face. 

 

"Love." Harry cooed, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I love you too. And believe me when I say,  _nothing_ on this earth can take me away from you." 

 

"But it can try." Louis whispered. 

 

"My sweet boy." Harry laid on his side and tugged Louis closer. When there was no room left between their bodies, he continued. "I'm here to stay. Trust me." 

 

"Good." Louis closed his eyes and sighed. Suddenly, he was very tired. "Besides, who else would I bother for the rest of my life?" 

 

"Me." Harry answered quickly, kissing the side of Louis' neck. "Always me. Thank God." 

 

 


	52. Chapter 52

The brochures arrived in the mail on a Thursday afternoon.

 

Louis held Atty in one arm and trudged out to the mailbox, holding an umbrella with his free hand. He managed to balance them both as he opened the box and pulled out the stack of magazines, bills, and much more. 

 

"You don't make it easy," He said to Atty, sidestepping a puddle. "But you sure do make it fun." 

 

Atticus gurgled in response. He was so talkative. 

 

On the porch, Louis glanced at his watch. "Should we wait for your siblings?" He asked his baby. "They'll be here with Daddy any moment." 

 

As he said it, he spotted Harry's sleek black vehicle driving slowly down the street. He was still so apprehensive about Harry driving in bad weather. He still had dreams about it, and would have to stare at Harry for a good while before ever going back to sleep. Harry was patient with him about it, especially after their fight a few days back. 

 

The vehicle parked in the driveway and three doors opened up, releasing a flood of children. Harry stayed put, waiting to park in the garage. 

 

"Mummy!" Olivia shouted, running full force, only stopping to jump in a few puddles. "I can't wait to tell you about my day!" 

 

Louis beamed at her. "And I can't wait to hear about it. How about you go and kick your shoes off and tell me all about it, unless you and Bella want to stay out here and play?" He glanced at Bella, who was making a big mess, jumping in puddles and splashing about. 

 

Olivia was indecisive. She pondered it, watching Bella, and then looking back at Louis. Finally, she shrugged her backpack off, handed it to Louis, and flipped her raincoat hood up. "I think I'll stay with Belly." She said, hopping down the porch steps. 

 

"Boys," He greeted his four oldest, watching them trudge up the stairs. 

 

"Hiya," Theo greeted, grinning up at him. 

 

"Hi baby." He grinned back. "If you all are going inside, then please - " 

 

" - put our shoes in the proper places and make sure not to track mud." Bean finished for him, side-eyeing him. 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "I can't tell if you're being smart or well-mannered." 

 

Bean flashed him a smile. It was a Harry Smile - full faced and dimpled to the extreme. "Just being well-mannered, mum." 

 

"Right," Louis muttered. He then paused, glancing around. He counted the four boys that went into the house, the two girls playing in the yard, and the baby in his arms. "I'm missing a child." 

 

He wandered back into the house, closing the door. He noted that the muddy shoes were exactly where they were supposed to be and there was no traces of mud anywhere on his floors. It made him proud. 

 

"Harry?" He hollered, dropping the umbrella onto the hall table. "Good lord, my littlest child. You are heavy." He shifted Atty from one hip to the other and made his way into the kitchen. 

 

"Mummy!" Archie popped up from behind the counter, hands up and grinning. 

 

"There's my eighth child!" Louis ruffled Archie's hair. "Were you with Daddy?" 

 

Archie nodded happily. "I was!" He confirmed, giving Louis' knee a quick kiss before jetting off to play. 

 

"Speaking of Daddy..." He said, walking over to the garage door. "Where is he?" 

 

Harry popped out from around the vehicle, dimples out. "Right here, baby." He toed his boots off and lined them up. "Just cleaning up after myself." 

 

Louis gave him a look. "Can't talk dirty to me in front of the babies, Harry." He tsked. He walked back into the kitchen. "Take your baby." 

 

"Gladly!" Harry swept in and scooped Atty out of Louis' arms. "What a doll. My God, this child has impeccable genes." 

 

Louis relaxed, bending over to rest his elbows on the counter tops as he sifted through the mail. "Why do we get so many magazines?" He wondered aloud. He paused at a large envelope, frowning when he read the address. "Did you request this?" 

 

"Request what?" Harry asked, bouncing his way over, making Atty giggle. 

 

Louis shrugged. "The label is Scotland," He said. 

 

"Oh, that was me." Bean said from behind them. He walked over and plucked the envelope up. 

 

"What is it?" Louis asked, a bit bewildered that his first born son was using the internet. Bean should still be in diapers and learning how to crawl. 

 

"It's a summer camp." Bean answered, sitting at the table. He slid a finger underneath the seal and popped it open. 

 

Harry frowned. "You've never shown an interest in a summer camp before." He said. "Why now?" 

 

"It looked really fun, and they do all sorts of fun things." He pulled a few papers out and handed them to Harry, watching as his dad read them over. 

 

"Very impressive. Canoeing? You'd like that." He commented, holding the paper up so Louis could read it over his shoulder. "And you build a den made from things you find in nature. Very cool." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "Archery? That sounds dangerous." 

 

"Mum," Bean pleaded. "Read the rest of the brochure. Actually, read it later." He stood from the table. "We'll talk later!" And with that, he was gone. 

 

Louis took his seat and looked at Harry. "Since when did he become so grown up?" He asked wistfully. 

 

"I don't know, but I sure am proud of him." Harry answered. He held the brochures and papers out. "It's really amazing that he wants to do all of this stuff." 

 

"It's amazing that he used the internet to request more information on it." Louis still couldn't get over that fact. His baby knew how to use the internet. 

 

"This is something we need to sit down and research." Harry said, standing. He began sliding everything back into the envelope. "We need to research prices and dates. If he's really interested in this, then I want to indulge him." 

 

Nodding, Louis stood. "Maybe the other boys would want to go, too. What's the age cutoff? If it's reasonable, we could send Liv and Bella too." 

 

"I'll look into it." Harry promised. "But how do you feel about it being in Scotland?" 

 

Louis paused, thinking about it. "Would we be able to drive them?" He finally asked. He might be okay with it if they got to drive them. 

 

Harry hesitated. "It would be an awfully long drive, baby." Seeing the look on Louis' face, he added, "But we could do it. We  _would_ do it." 

 

Satisfied, Louis nodded. "Good. Now I don't feel so sad about looking into it." 

 

"I'll make some calls, see just how reputable this place is." Harry said. He wasn't about to send his son and maybe other children to a camp without knowing anything about it. Sure, it could sound amazing on paper, but be completely different in person. 

 

"Do your research, love." Louis encouraged, opening up a few cabinets. He scanned the contents inside. "What should I make for dinner?" 

 

And just like that, the idea of Bean going away to Scotland for the summer was folded up like a piece of paper and tucked away into a little box in the back of their minds. 

 

-

 

Bean was a great kid. He got excellent grades and excelled in footie. He had many friends but was nice to everyone he spoke to. He was loyal and smart and kind, which is why Louis was surprised to get a phone call from Bean's school. He was even more surprised when the headmaster told him that Bean had gotten into a fight, and it was urgent that he get there for an emergency disciplinary meeting. 

 

After that, he rushed around, gathering up Archie and Atticus, stuffing some diapers and formula into a bag and slinging over his shoulder. He drove to Niall's and dropped them off, explaining that he had a meeting. Niall didn't ask any questions, bless his heart, and took the kids. 

 

In his car, he called Harry. 

 

"Baby, I'm really busy right now," Harry said, answering right off the bat. "I'll call you back - " 

 

"No," Louis interjected. "I got a call from Bean's school." 

 

"Oh?" Harry asked, interested. "Did he get the student award again? We'll go out tonight and celebrate." 

 

"Not quite." Louis said dryly. "He's in a disciplinary meeting with the headmaster right now." 

 

Harry was silent. "What?" He asked after a beat. 

 

"You need to meet me at his school. I'm on my way there now, but I'll wait for you in the parking lot." He said. He was glad that Bean's school was in the neighborhood. He was already there. 

 

"Why don't you go on in?" Harry suggested, gathering up a few of his things. He left his office and instructed his new secretary to push his meetings to tomorrow. 

 

"I don't want Headmaster Daniels to tell me anything without you there. I might forget." Louis said, parking. He shut the car off and sighed. 

 

Harry sensed his agitation. "It could be nothing." He said. 

 

"Harry, he's in a disciplinary meeting." Louis reminded him. "It's not nothing. Something happened to get him there." 

 

Harry exited the elevator into the lobby of his building. He sped through, dodging around bodies walking and headed out towards the parking lot. "Just," He said, unlocking his car. "Don't worry about it. I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm getting into the car now." 

 

"Alright. I'll see you later." Louis hung up and sighed again. To distract himself from thinking the absolute worst, he scrolled aimlessly through his phone. He was still scrolling when Harry pulled up next to him. 

 

"Don't go in with an attitude." Harry instructed, placing a hand on Louis' lower back as they walked through the parking lot. "Let's hear what he has to say first." 

 

"I know how to deal with him." Louis snipped. 

 

"And don't get an attitude with me." Harry said firmly, and that time, it wasn't said so nicely. It was what Louis needed. 

 

They entered the doors of the school and walked down the empty hallway to the Headmaster's office. Inside, the secretary instructed them to sit and called Headmaster Daniels, letting him know that they were there. 

 

They didn't have to wait long before they were being led into the headmaster's office, where Bean sat, arms crossed. Another boy was sitting next to him, ice pack pressed to his face.

 

"Please, have a seat." Headmaster Daniels gestured to two plush seats, and sat down in his own. "This won't take too long."

 

"Why exactly were we called in?" Harry asked, glancing over at his son and the other boy. He had an inkling. 

 

"Harry seems to have been in an altercation with a classmate, Jack," Headmaster Daniels began. "I've been told what started as a verbal fight quickly turned into a scuffle." 

 

Louis leaned up in his seat and looked over at Bean. "What happened?" 

 

"He was making fun of Lucas." Bean answered. "So I hit him." 

 

"Don't sound so unapologetic, son." Headmaster Daniels said. 

 

"I am though." Bean replied. "I did what was right." 

 

"No," Headmaster Daniels began. He was quickly cut off by Harry. 

 

"Yes," Harry said. "Standing up for your brother was the right thing to do." 

 

Headmaster Daniels seemed baffled. "Mr. Styles, we do not encourage any sort of fighting in this school. I don't know what Harry has been taught at home, but at school, it simply isn't allowed." 

 

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "We don't encourage fighting at home, Headmaster Daniels. We encourage our children to stand up for themselves and their siblings."

 

"Yes, but the fact remains that Harry has hit another child within this school, and it will not go unpunished." Headmaster Daniels informed him. He was a bit flustered.

 

"Is that what you do now? You will let this boy make fun of others, but the second another child stands up for himself, or in this case, his brother, you punish him? It's a flawed system, Headmaster, and my son will not be punished. If anything, you need to punish the bully." Harry said with finality. 

 

"Mr. Styles - " Headmaster Daniels began, red-faced. 

 

Again, Harry interrupted. He turned to the boy, Jack, and asked, "Are you going to make fun of other again?" He asked. 

 

Jack was quick to shake his head. He looked terribly sorry. 

 

"Good lad." He turned to Bean. "And though you did the right thing, there are more effective methods to get your point across. Promise you won't hit another person again?" 

 

"Promise." Bean nodded. 

 

Harry clapped his hands and stood. "Then it's settled. Headmaster Daniels, thank you for your time. Son, have a good day at school. Louis, let's go." 

 

Louis gathered Bean into a hug and kissed his cheek. "Be good." He whispered, smiling when Bean giggled. 

 

"Mr. Styles - " Headmaster Daniels called after him, sighing when Harry didn't stop. He rubbed at his temples. "Boys, you are dismissed." 

 

-

 

"Well?" Louis asked Harry, leaning against the door of his SUV. "What do you think? Should we punish him?" 

 

Harry shook his head. "Absolutely not." He answered firmly. "He did nothing wrong." 

 

"He punched a classmate." Louis reminded Harry. He believed one hundred percent that Bean was in the right, but he also knew that Bean needed to know that it was wrong to use violence. 

 

"In defense of Lucas." Harry pointed out. He sighed and propped an arm up above Louis' head. If the situation were different, it would be an excellent position for making out. "I don't know. We'll talk to him when he gets home. 

 

"I don't want to punish him." Louis said. "But I don't want to reward him either." 

 

"That's why we're going to sit down and talk to him." Harry replied. "Let him know that while standing up for his brother was the right thing to do, punching someone was not." 

 

"We didn't get the whole story, either." Louis remembered. "Bean could have tried to reason with the kid. Punching him could have been the last resort." 

 

Harry nodded. "And I'll bet that kid doesn't do it again." 

 

Louis checked the time on his phone. "Do you need to get back to work?" He asked. There was a distant rumble of thunder, and Louis hoped that it would wait until he got home. 

 

"Nope. Had all my meetings pushed back until tomorrow." Harry answered, looking down at him. "Why?" 

 

"Well," Louis stepped forward, smoothing out the front of Harry's shirt. "If you're down for a little afternoon delight..." 

 

Harry produced a guttural moan and glanced around. He slid his arms around Louis' waist and squeezed his bottom. " _This_ ," He said lowly. "Better be naked when I get home." 

 

Louis cocked a brow. "Oh? Giving me a head start, are we?" 

 

With another sharp squeeze, Harry reluctantly let go and stepped back. "Two minutes, baby. Then I'm coming after you." 

 

With the thrill of Harry's threat, Louis hopped into his car and started the engine. As he left the parking lot, the excited smile didn't leave his face. 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can we just appreciate for a second how there is literally a child named bean here.  
> like. his name is HJ but it's Bean.  
> BEAN, PEOPLE.


	53. Chapter 53

0Harry sat down in front of his wide-eyed child and stared. Bean looked  _so_ much like him it wasn't funny. Same nose, same eyes, same chin and dimples. Their hair was similar, though Bean's curls had softened into waves, and Louis had cropped his hair, they were one in the same. Bean was sprouting into a tall child, almost as tall as Louis already, and he was smart.  _So_ smart. He was sure that Bean got his brains from Louis. He would give all the credit to Louis, because his children were raised sweet, and kind, and sympathetic, but also tough. 

 

Which is why they were sitting down to have a talk, in the sitting room. It was surprisingly the quietest room in the house. Louis had told him earlier to go easy on Bean, but looking at Bean now, Harry knew that Bean knew what he did was wrong. There was no reason to yell or punish the child. 

 

"Beanie," He began, glancing up to the kitchen door. Louis was listening unabashedly, flipping through a cookbook, not trying to be stealthy at all. "We didn't really get to hear the whole side of the story today. Can you tell me what happened?" 

 

Bean nodded and launched into his story. "Jack was being  _so_ mean to Lucas." 

 

"What was he saying?" Harry pressed. 

 

"He didn't like that Lucas and Finn were such great friends. They hold hands a lot in the hallways. I think Lucas and Finn love each other," Bean said innocently. 

 

A crash sounded from right inside the kitchen, and Louis appeared two seconds later, wide-eyed. "Beanie, what?" He asked, rushing around the couch. He plopped down, almost sitting on top of Harry in his haste. In his good nature, Harry anchored Louis to the couch with a hand on his thigh. 

 

"Go on, baby." Harry encouraged. Bean nodded. 

 

"Well, Lucas said he'd walk Finn to his science class because Lucas was carrying so much stuff, and Jack was standing by me and he said that he wanted to trip Lucas and then he said some really mean things. So I hit him." Bean finished, leaning back. 

 

Louis blinked at his son. There was no remorse on his face. 

 

"Bean, what you did wasn't right." Harry said. 

 

"I protected Lucas. He's my brother and I have to protect him. I'd do the same for Ollie and Theo, or Bella and  Liv." Bean said, then he tacked on, "Maybe more Ollie and Theo." 

 

Harry nodded in understanding. Ollie and Theo were in their own little world, twenty-four-seven. He was happy to hear that Bean wanted to protect not only Lucas, but his other siblings as well. "What I meant was," He collected his thoughts. "While protecting your brother was the right thing to do, hitting a classmate was not. There are other ways to solve this problem."

 

Bean blinked, and then surprised them both by shrugging. "I don't care. I've asked him a hundred times since school started to stop. Now he won't bother Lucas again." He leaned forward. "And he's just glad Finn didn't hear. Finny  _hates_ it when people are mean to Lucas." 

 

Louis put his hand over his heart, and he couldn't help the tears that pricked the backs of his eyes. "You did a good thing, Beanie." He said, ignoring Harry's stern look. "Thank you for standing up for your brother. Now, you can go and play." 

 

Bean darted out of the room, ready to play with his siblings. Harry waited until he was gone before turning to Louis. 

 

"Seriously?" He began, turning to face Louis. 

 

"Harry, he honestly did the right thing." Louis said, standing. 

 

"Oh, no you don't." Harry grabbed Louis' wrist and tugged him down. Louis landed in his lap, trapped by Harry's arms winding around his middle. "We need to talk about your delinquent son." 

 

Louis giggled and leaned back into Harry's broad chest. " _My_ son?" 

 

"Yes,  _your_ son." Harry murmured, preoccupied with kissing the back of Louis' neck. He loved the soft skin there. 

 

"I don't think we should punish him." Louis replied truthfully. He'd dealt with enough bullies in his life to know that they backed off if you put up a fight. 

 

"Is that so?" Harry asked, finding that he agreed wholeheartedly. "I think you may be right. We raised a strong, smart boy. I trust he won't be throwing anymore right-hooks." 

 

"Hell of an arm," Louis said, remembering the other kid. "Jack will have a black eye, for sure." 

 

"He got my strength." Harry bragged. "He'll be a boxer for sure." 

 

"Absolutely not." Louis shook his head. "There is no way in  _hell_ a child of mine will be in any sport that gets him hurt." 

 

Harry chuckled and tightened his grip around Louis' waist. "You get hurt in every sport, love." 

 

"Not intentionally. You box to hurt others." Louis rolled his eyes. 

 

Harry hummed. "I know, I've boxed before." 

 

Surprised, Louis turned in his lap. His eyebrows were almost in his hair. "You've boxed? Why didn't you tell me?" 

 

"I never boxed professionally, love." He promised. "You can relax. I just boxed at the gym. Never had to beat a guy up. Well, except Christopher." 

 

Louis stiffened at the mention of Christopher. It was a name he hadn't heard in  _years_. A disgruntled ex-employee of Harry, he had stalked them for months, even breaking into their house to get Harry's attention. 

 

"I remember," Louis said quietly. 

 

"I never told you," Harry frowned. He remembered not wanting Louis to worry any more than he was. His family had been targeted by Christopher, and though he felt nothing but rage, Louis' worry over the situation was something he never wanted to see again. 

 

"I saw your knuckles." Louis admitted. "You came home and you looked angry but...relieved. Your knuckles were bruised. I put two and two together." 

 

"I stood up for my family then," Harry said. "And Bean did today. I refuse to punish him for that." 

 

Louis agreed. "In fact," He said, standing from Harry's lap. Ignoring his husband's whine of protest and grabbing hands, he walked to the kitchen. "I'm going to make him a sundae." 

 

Harry checked his watch as he stood to follow. "It's four in the afternoon. Won't that ruin his dinner?" 

 

Louis scoffed, pulling the toppings and treats down from the cabinet. "You obviously don't know our children, Harry.  _Nothing_ spoils their dinner." 

 

Harry beat Louis to the freezer and pulled the ice cream out. "If Bean gets a sundae, won't the others want one?" 

 

Louis shook his head and began assembling Bean's reward into a sundae dish. "They all had ice cream earlier." He answered. "Niall came over earlier, brought Jane with him." 

 

"How is he?" Harry asked, swiping a bit of crushed cookie to nibble on. "How's the baby?" 

 

"He's good, baby's good. I think they find out what they're having when they go in for their next appointment." He answered. "Niall said Liam wants it to be a boy so bad." 

 

Harry perched himself on the kitchen stool opposite of Louis and raised his eyebrows. "So Liam is good with it now?" 

 

Louis hummed. "I think he was always good with it. I mean, it's his  _baby_. I think he was like you; he wasn't able to control it. They'd planned their other three." 

 

"See, that's where they went wrong. I wanted to plan ours, too, but Bean put a stop to that." Harry said. "Then, after that, it was whatever. Can't plan these things." 

 

"At least they made up before Niall goes into labor. It's the worst thing in the world, fighting with your husband while going through contractions." Louis realized what he said and looked up, biting his lip. "Sorry." 

 

"Don't be." Harry shook his head. "I know what I did was wrong, we're past that. It was years ago." 

 

Louis finished Bean's sundae and put the lid back onto the ice cream. "I can't believe we've been together for almost ten years." 

 

Harry stood, picking up the ice cream. He was going to hand deliver it to Bean. "Better believe it, baby." He rounded the kitchen island and planted a kiss to Louis' forehead. "We'll have to do something to celebrate. How does a vacation sound?" 

 

"It's not even our anniversary yet!" Louis giggled. He handed Harry a spoon for the ice cream. 

 

"I don't need an excuse to spoil you." Harry reminded him, walking away. "Think of where you want to go, baby, then let me know!" 

 

 


	54. Chapter 54

"Hey, DILF." Louis chirped, waltzing into Harry's home office. He was wearing nothing but one of Harry's sleep shirts and a sleepy grin. A grin that took Harry's breath away. 

 

Harry cocked a brow and shuffled his papers. He wasn't going to get any work done with the new distraction. Not that he cared. "DILF?" He asked bemusedly, clasping his hands together in front of him. 

 

"Yep. It means - " Louis began, making his way around Harry's desk. Thankfully, after years of marriage and general antics, he scooted back far enough for Louis to plop down in his lap. It was a familiar and welcome weight. 

 

"I know what it means, baby." Harry interrupted. "I'm just wondering why you're addressing me as such." 

 

"Because you're a dad I'd like to fuck." Louis answered simply. Then, he giggled. "You  _are_ a dad I fuck. Well, a dad who fucks me." 

 

"Is that a hint?" Harry's hands crept towards the bottom of Louis' shirt. It was barely covering his dreamy thighs and Harry had visions of himself between them, buried within the soft skin. The kids were all at school, and Atticus was probably asleep somewhere in the house. It was the perfect time for some afternoon delight. 

 

Louis wiggled around, feeling Harry's cock perk up. "Not really." He finally answered with a sly grin. "I just came in here to tell you that I can't decide where you can take me on vacation." 

 

"So it's up to me?" Harry grinned. 

 

"Nothing lavish." Louis waggled his finger. Not that he minded expensive vacations, but he wanted something low-key and intimate for once. 

 

Harry grabbed his finger and kissed the pad of it. "Baby, if I can't spend all of my money on you, then what's the point of having all of it?" He asked sincerely. 

 

Louis scoffed and grabbed Harry's phone. He stared at the lock screen, which was a picture of him, and unlocked it. He knew the password by heart as it was their wedding date. "You can spend all of your money on me." He shrugged, flipping through Harry's private Facebook. "In fact, I want a big bag of diamonds." 

 

"Right now?" Harry played along, cocking a brow. 

 

Louis nodded firmly. "Right now." He frowned as he came upon an article. He resisted the urge to scoff. 

 

Harry adjusted himself, and Louis, back up against the desk. Louis had made it clear that he wasn't going to move, and he might as well try to get some work done with Louis in his lap. "Anything good?" 

 

"Not really." He answered. "Except a stupid article with my name in it." 

 

"Wait, what?" Harry paused, fingers poised over his keyboard. He was very protective of his family and their personal lives. He tried, and succeeded most times, to keep them all out of the media. 

 

"Yeah." Louis clicked the article. " _The Art of Getting a Degree and Not Using It_." He read. 

 

"And your name is on there because...?" Harry wondered, frowning. 

 

" _Louis Styles, most famous for marrying billionaire business tycoon Harry Styles, is among the growing rate of teenagers, who after receiving their Status, either neglect to work after receiving their degree, or neglect to get one altogether. Deciding that education is not worth pursuing, abandoning it altogether to form families, can be quite dangerous."_ Louis scoffed. "I'm not a fucking teenager. And my family is more important than some degree." 

 

"You were a teenager when we got matched." Harry pointed out, resting his chin on Louis' shoulder. 

 

Louis turned his head and glared icily at Harry. "Whose side are you on?" He grouched. 

 

Harry pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Yours, baby. Always yours." 

 

With a sigh, Louis turned his focus back to the article and kept reading. " _Submissives in the world today are all too dependent on their Dominants._ Well, duh. You're supposed to take care of us." 

 

"You're not dependent on me." Harry frowned at the article. "If anything, I'm dependent on you. You take care of me." 

 

Louis nodded. "Exactly! You'd die without me." 

 

"Right." Harry agreed. "Put that away, baby. The article is shit." 

 

Louis listened to Harry and immediately clicked the phone off. Sighing, he leaned back against Harry's broad chest. "Articles like that make me feel bad." 

 

"Baby," Harry rubbed soothing circles onto Louis' thigh. "They have no idea what they're talking about. You are the glue that holds this family together. And in fact, I'm going to tweet them." 

 

"Harry..." Louis said, but didn't bother to stop Harry as he pulled up his Twitter page. He actually rather enjoyed the drama. He watched as Harry tapped his fingers against the keys, more than likely trying to figure out how to word his tweet to be most effective and a bit snippy. 

 

"Alright...how's this..." Harry began typing.  _@Harry Styles: @UKnews your article is misinformed & completely out-of-date. I'd rather have a submissive who realizes that family is more important than furthering his education, which, by the way...he graduated top of his class, summa cum laude. #sipstea._

 

Louis read it, a smile forming on his face. "You're so petty." He giggled, reading Harry's hashtag. "Do you want to have sex?" 

 

Harry's fingers froze on his mouse pad. "Right now?" He asked, swallowing hard. His pants were tenting already. 

 

"Right now." Louis confirmed, turning in Harry's lap. "Office sex. Let's go. Fuck me on this desk." 

 

Harry closed his laptop and practically threw it in his desk drawer. He stood, pushing his chair back all the way, hands on his fly. He shoved his pants down to the sound of Louis laughing. 

 

"You're so easy for it." Louis poked Harry's stomach, making it clench. 

 

"I'm easy for  _you_ ," Harry corrected. "I'm so damn hard whenever you're around." 

 

"Ooh, baby," Louis wiggled his eyebrows, tearing his shirt off. He tossed it somewhere behind him. "Talk dirty to me." 

 

"Yeah?" Harry stepped closer, ready to take Louis on his desk. 

 

A cry came through the baby monitor. Harry's heart broke. 

 

"Fuck my life." He wanted to fall on the ground and cry. He was  _so_ hard and Louis was  _so_ desirable. 

 

Louis gave him a sympathetic pat on the back and went to find his shirt. "Catch me later, love!" He hollered, slipping the shirt on as he left the room. 

 

With a groan, Harry readjusted himself in his pants. He loved his children, but they were major cockblocks. Oh well. He'd try again later. 

 

-

 

Louis was used to getting nerve wracking phone calls. In fact, he was so used to it, that he no longer ignored calls from numbers he didn't recognize. He answered every phone call, and because of all the stressful calls he was used to getting, he had their hospital's number saved. So when his phone rang with that number a week later, fear spiked through him and he looked at the clock. 

 

Sure enough, Harry was late getting home. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and answered. 

 

"Hello?" His voice was steady, and he applauded himself for that. 

 

"Mr. Styles?" The female on the other end asked. "This is Doctor Carly Simmons, from St. George's Hospital. Do you have a moment to speak?" 

 

Louis glanced at the counter. He'd sat the ingredients for dinner out, not yet starting. "I do." He walked himself over to the kitchen table and sat. 

 

"Great. Your husband was brought in about an hour ago," She began, unbeknownst to her that she'd just stopped Louis' heart for a few seconds. 

 

"What happened?" He asked, already scratching down a to-do list for his mother. He was going to call her as soon as he hung up. 

 

"Mr. Styles slipped on a flight of stairs and injured his back. Now, as you know, he's had major surgery on his back before. About a year and a half ago, correct?" 

 

Louis nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him. "Yes." He answered "Did it hurt him?"

 

"I'm afraid so." She answered solemnly. "We'd like you to come down and sign some papers." 

 

"Harry couldn't?" He asked, a bit hysterically. If Harry couldn't sign his own papers, then that meant he was already in surgery, which meant he was so severely injured that they had to operate immediately. Or he was dead and this was just their way to get Louis to come down so that they could tell him face to face. Panic built up inside of him. 

 

"Mr. Styles is..." She began hesitantly. "Coherent, I suppose. We've got him on just enough medication to keep the pain away, but he refuses anymore until you get here." 

 

"Oh Jesus." He muttered. He dropped the pen he was writing with and rubbed his forehead. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Really. I've got to call my mum and pack and - " 

 

Sensing his impending freak-out, Carly spoke. "Mr. Styles, we've got him. You do what needs to be done. We'll see you soon." 

 

-

 

Louis didn't even grab the bag he packed when he got to the hospital. He barely pulled the keys out of the ignition in his race to get inside. He'd been in that hospital enough times to know exactly where to go. A few nurses helped direct him, and soon, he was stopped outside Harry's hospital room. He took a deep breath and opened the door. 

 

"Harry," He sighed, seeing his husband alive and in one piece. 

 

Harry blinked over at him. It was clear that they'd upped his morphine dosage. "Baby?" He slurred, reaching an IV covered hand out. Louis rushed over to take it. 

 

"What happened?" He asked, squeezing Harry's hand. 

 

Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the pillows. "Hurt m'self." He mumbled. 

 

"I know, love." Louis sympathized. "I need to sign some papers and get some more information, and then they're going to take you to surgery, okay?" 

 

Harry nodded and said nothing. Louis kissed his forehead and went to find the doctor he'd spoken to. He signed a few papers, swallowing hard at the one that stated the hospital was not liable in the unlikely event of Harry's death.  He signed it, as he always did. When he handed them back to the nurse, the doctor directed him to Harry's room so she could go over everything with them both. 

 

"The procedure could be minimally invasive, but with the extent of the injuries, on top of the previous surgery, it just can't be done. While nothing was broken, per say, several disks were herniated, compressing Harry's spine. We need to get in there and relieve that pressure and stabilize everything." She explained. 

 

"Okay." Louis nodded. "Recovery time?" 

 

"It depends on what we see when we get in there. The CT scan showed us everything, but sometimes things do pop up during surgery. Right now, going by the scans, recovery is at least a week in here, and then several weeks of physical therapy." She answered. 

 

"Okay. When will he be ready to go?" Louis asked, looking down at Harry, who was half-asleep. 

 

"Whenever you're ready to kiss him goodbye." Carly answered. "We prepped him when he got here, but he was insistent that he saw you before surgery." 

 

Louis smiled down at Harry. "Yes, he's like that sometimes." He sighed. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to Harry's. And though he was doped up and in pain, Harry still found the energy to kiss back. 

 

"How long will surgery take?" Louis asked, standing upright. He stepped back when a few nurses began making the bed ready to move. 

 

"That all depends, again." Carly answered. "We'll keep you updated, okay? Don't worry, he's in good hands." 

 

Louis nodded and watched them wheel Harry out of the room. He would have walked with the bed, but he wouldn't have been able to stop when he was supposed to. He would have tried to scrub up and join the surgery. But he didn't have a bad feeling. Normally, there was a rock in the pit of his stomach. There wasn't one. 

 

He took it as a good sign and left the room. He might as well find something to do to pass the time. 

 

 

 

 


	55. Chapter 55

Louis tossed his magazine onto the table in front of him and sighed. It had been at least an hour and a half since his last update on Harry, who was doing phenomenally in the surgery, as they had told him. The doctor also mentioned that surgery may take a little longer than they expected. Which was completely fine, they could do what they wanted to Harry as long as he survived and could walk. 

 

Maybe he was paranoid, but he didn't want to take any chances when it came to Harry. Harry was the love of his life and he was also the clumsiest and unluckiest doofus in the entire world. Louis had to be prepared for anything when it came to Harry. 

 

Standing, he checked his watch. It was a little after midnight. The hospital was empty, save for a few nurses walking around quietly. Machines beeping in other rooms were the only other sounds. Louis quite liked having it to himself. It got even better, because the cafeteria stayed open all night, and he was starving. Well, not starving, but he'd managed to eat a little bit about an hour after Harry went into surgery. Now that his stomach was settled and he was sure everything was going to go okay, he was ready to eat a more substantial meal.

 

He took the elevator to the first floor and muscle memory took him to the empty and dimly lit cafeteria. He waved to the janitor sweeping and stared at his choices. Did he want a sandwich or something hot? He wanted something he could eat with his hands and drop in an instant should he have to talk to the doctor or drop to his knees and cry. Or something. 

 

He picked a sandwich and a bag of crisps. As he checked out, he added a bottle of juice and a cellophane wrapped cookie. He handed the boy at the counter his money and pocketed his change. He unwrapped his sandwich and began eating as he took the elevator back upstairs. By the time he reached his seat, he'd eaten the whole thing. He must have really been hungry. 

 

He opened his crisps and sat back, sighing. "Now I know what Harry went through when I was having babies." He said to himself. How Harry managed to entertain himself while he was busy birthing their children was beyond him.

 

He finished his crisps and threw the trash away. He was just about to sit back down and complain to himself some more when he saw Carly appear. His heart hammered in his chest. 

 

"Mr. Styles," She greeted, still wearing her surgical scrubs. "Harry is out of surgery. They're cleaning him up and he'll be in his room in just a bit. Before you go see him, I did want to talk to you and explain what we did a little more in depth." 

 

"Of course." He nodded. He wanted to know everything, though he would only be able to understand a fraction of it. 

 

"Mr. Styles has had a previous surgery on his back, as you know. The fall he took, in a way, reversed what he'd had done previously. We were unable to do a minimally invasive procedure, as there were too many compressed disks. We took all of the pressure off of his spine and corrected his herniated disks." 

 

Louis waited for her to continue, and when she didn't, he frowned. "That's it?" 

 

She nodded, smiling. "That's it. It wasn't as complicated as we thought, which is always good." 

 

"Does that lessen his recovery time then?" Louis was hopeful. Of course, a shorter recovery period meant nothing to him. He was still going to treat Harry as if he was made of glass. 

 

"I'm afraid not. Surgeries to the back, especially in cases like this, take awhile to heal. He needs to spend at least a week in the hospital and then weeks of physical therapy, just as I've said previously." 

 

Louis sighed. "Okay. Thank you so much." He shook her hand. "Can I go see him now?" 

 

"You sure can." She stepped out of the way, and he muttered out another  _thanks_ as he passed her, eager to get to Harry's room. He was settled now that he knew Harry was fine and dandy. 

 

Harry's room was dark, save for the bedside lamp, and it was quiet. The heart monitor was beeping, solidifying the fact that Harry was indeed alive, and Harry was laying there, sleeping soundly. Louis was sure that it was because of the drugs that were coursing through his body. 

 

He crossed the room and stood next to Harry. He smoothed the back of his hand down Harry's soft cheek and smiled. 

 

"You like to live on the edge, don't you." He muttered fondly. "It's not a fun day for you unless you can give me a heart attack." 

 

He turned and pulled a chair up to Harry's bed and sat. He made himself comfortable, keeping one hand in Harry's, and pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text to both his mother and Harry's, giving them a quick update. He knew that Harry's mum would no doubt be sleeping, and his own  _might_ be awake, depending on how good Atty decided to be. 

 

After scrolling through his Facebook for a bit, he closed the app when he yawned. It was late, and clear to him that Harry would be out for several hours. He might as well get some sleep. The nurses had brought in a pillow and a blanket, and he made up the chair, getting comfortable. He put his phone on vibrate and settled in, letting the steady beep of the heart monitor lull him to sleep. 

 

-

 

When Louis blinked his eyes open hours later, it wasn't due to the nurse walking in and talking quietly, or the unsettling noises outside of the room. It was to a hand gently petting the top of his head, which had been resting on the side of Harry's bed. 

 

He sat straight up and met Harry's eyes. 

 

"You idiot." He blurted, unable to stop himself. Then, he cringed. "Sorry. How are you feeling?" 

 

Harry grinned dopily at him. "S'okay, baby." He assured. "I'm fine. What time is it?" His words were slurred and his eyes were heavily lidded. 

 

"It's..." Louis patted around for his phone. "Seven in the morning." He'd only gotten a few hours of sleep. 

 

"How long have I been here?" Harry asked. He patted around his bed, for no apparent reason. He must becoming aware of his surroundings. Louis knew surgery could disorient a person. 

 

"I think the doctor told me you were brought in around six last evening." Louis answered. Honestly, he couldn't remember either. 

 

"And what happened again?" Harry held his hand up, staring at the IV attached. It was like he was just now noticing it. Louis wanted to laugh. 

 

"From what I understand, you fell down a flight of stairs at work." Louis told him. "Honestly, Harry, what were you doing on a flight of stairs? You always take the elevator." He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Harry worked on the top floor of his building and decided to take the stairs.

 

Harry frowned, blinking slowly. "I think -" He croaled out. "I think I was taking a phone call. I think I missed a step." 

 

"Well, you didn't miss the last thirty of them." Louis said dryly. "You hurt your back badly. The doctor said it reversed everything from your last back surgery." 

 

"Well." Harry blinked slowly. "Shit." 

 

Louis agreed with him. "Yeah, shit."

 

"I'm sorry." Harry apologized, squeezing Louis' hand. 

 

Louis offered him a smile. "Don't be. As long as they don't ever call me and say you've died, I'll be fine. This just means I have to baby you for the next few months." 

 

"Few months? Are you kidding?" Harry snickered groggily. "You wouldn't let me drive for a year after the car accident." 

 

"Yes, and I'd do it again." Louis sniffed. "And no more stairs. We're sleeping in the guest room downstairs from now on." 

 

Harry closed his eyes. Louis thought he was falling back to sleep, until he replied, "Overprotective." His voice was thick and mumbling. He looked at Louis. "Were you scared?"

 

"No." Louis answered. "I could only think of what stupid thing you've done this time to get yourself hospitalized." 

 

Harry studied him. Louis knew that he could read his face. After so many years of marriage, Harry knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling. "No you didn't." He finally said. 

 

"You're right." Louis agreed. "I was scared." 

 

Harry reached over and cupped Louis' cheek. He ran his thumb back and forth over Louis' cheekbone. "I'm okay." He promised.

 

" _Alive_ ," Louis corrected. "Not okay." 

 

Harry gave him a dopey smile and closed his eyes. "Never gonna get rid of me." He mumbled. Louis could see that the pain medicine was taking over again, and he gave Harry's hand a squeeze and leaned forward, kissing his forehead.

 

"Get some rest, love." He was going to do the exact same, once he knew Harry was sleeping soundly again. 

 

-

 

 

The next time Louis woke, it was to Harry, retching into a plastic bin. He jumped into action, standing and rubbing Harry's back. He cooed softly and held Harry's hair back.

 

"Oh, love." He sighed, disposing of the contents. "Do you think it's your medicine?" 

 

Harry shrugged weakly. His head was still hovering over the bin. 

 

"When I had to be medicated for all of my surgeries, the medicine always made me sick." Louis didn't know if it was reassuring or not, but he'd try to soothe Harry in any way he could. 

 

Again, Harry shrugged. Deciding he was done for the time being, he leaned back, letting Louis take the bin and empty it. He was so exhausted, and there was pain, though it was ebbing away, he was still uncomfortable. 

 

Louis reappeared, holding a cup of water. "Here, love." He placed one hand on the back of Harry's head and held the cup up to Harry's mouth with his other. "If you want, I can brush your teeth for you." 

 

Harry shook his head. He took his fill of water and pushed Louis' hand away gently. The last thing he wanted was to be covered in water. "No," He mumbled. 

 

Louis nodded and put the water down. "Let me at least put your hair up for you." He slid the hair-tie from his wrist and made quick work of pulling Harry's hair into a sloppy bun. It needed to be washed, but he'd wait until at least tomorrow before attempting. Harry's surgery was still fresh, and so was the pain. 

 

"Thanks." Harry breathed, eyes closed. He was tired, and wanted to sleep, but he was also tired of sleeping. He was tired of laying in a hospital bed. He wondered when he could get up and walk. 

 

"The nurse said that you should be able to get up and walk around tomorrow morning." Louis answered, and Harry realized that he'd said it out loud. "She said that you could try to walk to physical therapy, or use a wheelchair. It depends on how you feel."

 

Harry let out a huffy sigh.

 

"Do you want to walk now?" Louis cocked a brow. He figured that Harry would want to lay in bed and try to recuperate for a bit longer. "We could walk to the bathroom."

 

Harry let his head fall to the side and he looked at the bathroom. Normally, it was twenty steps away, but in his current state, it seemed miles away. He suddenly felt very helpless. Walking to the bathroom seemed like an impossibility.

 

Louis, reading Harry's face, began rubbing his leg through the blanket. "We can wait. We _will_ wait. I know what you're thinking and I know that you're about to ask me to let you up. You're going to push yourself and end up hurting yourself even more. So we're going to wait." 

 

Harry frowned at him.

 

"Ten years of marriage." Was Louis' simple answer. "I know you better than _you_ know you. Now, if you want to sleep, sleep. If you want to watch some telly, we'll watch some telly. I don't know if I should offer you food or not." 

 

The thought of food actually didn't make his stomach turned, and Harry shrugged. "Maybe," He shrugged. "Something light?"

 

Louis rifled through Harry's bedside drawer, pulling out the kitchen menu. "I wonder, maybe just saltines? Toast? I know that when they made me eat, I could handle fruits well."

 

"Just saltines." Harry told him. "I don't want to throw up fruit."

 

"You got it." Louis took his focus from the fruits and vegetables listed and began looking at the lighter fare. "I think I'll just call the kitchen. I'll even namedrop." 

 

Harry chuckled, which was Louis' goal. "Okay, baby." He whispered, finding Louis' hand. He found it so much easier to sleep when he was holding Louis' hand. And, though he'll never admit it, it made him not so scared. 

 

Louis, as he dialed, noticed that Harry was dropping off to sleep again. "Sleep, love. I'll get your saltines and they'll be here when you wake up." He promised. 

 

Harry nodded, or at least he thought he did. The sleep overtook him so fast. When his little snores were the only sounds coming from him, and Louis was done talking to the kitchen, he sat on the edge of Harry's bed and kissed his cheek. Then, making sure the clean bin was within reach, just in case, he rested his head on Harry's shoulder and fell asleep. 

 


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who watches grey's anatomy? the season finale killed me!

Harry huffed and puffed as he tried to stand from the edge of the hospital bed. There was a walker in front of him and a nurse waiting outside, as Harry had requested to do it by himself. It was against protocol, but after a few morphine-induced threats, she had thrown her hands up and left the room. 

 

"You can do it," Louis encouraged, holding Atty in his arms, rocking back and forth. The nine-month old was staring at Harry, hand stuffed in his mouth. He was drooling and fucking adorable. 

 

"Don't let my son watch me fail." Harry groaned, closing his eyes when he felt a twinge of pain. The nurse had assured him that it was nothing to worry about. It was just his body stretching out after lying for so long. 

 

"He doesn't even know what's happening." Louis brushed Harry's request off. "Do I need to get the nurse?" 

 

"No, for God's sake." Harry cursed. "I can stand up on my own." 

 

"Doesn't look like it." Louis mumbled, rolling his eyes. Harry was such a baby when it came to those sort of things. "Do you want me to set Atty down and help?" 

 

"No." Harry grunted as he gripped the walker and tried to heave himself up. 

 

Louis sat Atty down in his little playpen and marched to where Harry was. "Come on, love." He helped steady Harry, ignoring the mumbled curses coming from Harry's mouth. "It may hurt now, but you can do it."

 

"You have no idea what this feels like." Harry snapped, looking down at Louis. 

 

Undeterred, Louis placed his hand on Harry's lower back. "Talk to me when you've have multiple c-sections." He replied dryly. "Now, stop bitching and stand up. I can't help you if you don't want to be helped." 

 

"I want to yell at you so bad right now," Harry said through clenched teeth, closing his eyes when Louis finally helped him into a standing position. His legs felt like jelly, and though he was sick of laying in bed, that's all he wanted at the moment. 

 

"But you're not going to." Louis snapped. "Because I have your best interest at heart and I love you. And you love me." 

 

"Of course I love you." The thought of him  _not_ loving Louis was ridiculous. "But right now, I want to hate you." 

 

Louis' hand was steady and warm on his waist, and he left it there as he moved to stand in front of Harry. "But you don't." He grinned up at Harry, eyes sparkling. 

 

"You're radiant." Harry mumbled, ducking his head forward. His eyes were closed, but he heard Louis' scoff, and a beat later, there were warm lips pressed to his. He smiled into it. 

 

"Are you ready to walk?" Louis asked, pulling away. Noticing Harry's hesitation, he tacked on, "It's just to the nurses station and back." 

 

"I thought we were walking to physical therapy?" Harry asked, shuffling his feet an inch forward. Using a walker was harder than he imagined. 

 

Louis shook his head and placed his hand on Harry's back. "They want to do an MRI before physical therapy. They just want to make sure everything is good before they have you start stretching." 

 

Harry nodded, and began shuffling towards the open door. Squashing his embarrassment down, he stood in the hallway. The nurses station seemed so far away, and he was already out of breath. He was grateful when Louis left him to lean on the door while he ran back to get their baby. Although they've left their small children unattended, briefly and never in dangerous situations, a hospital probably was not the best place to do it again. 

 

Louis reappeared next to him, holding their smiling baby. Atty was chewing on something that looked suspiciously like Harry's wallet. "Good?" He asked. 

 

"We should have a fucking punch card for this hospital." Harry puffed, shaking his head. "With the amount of babies and back surgeries we churn out." 

 

Louis cast Harry a sideways glance. 

 

"Yes," Harry answered his question, exasperated. "I'm good."

 

Louis bit his lip. "Harry, don't do this to prove something. If you can't walk, it's okay. We can try again later." 

 

"I'm not trying to prove anything." Harry bit out, leaning against the wall. He was breathless and the pain medicine was wearing off. Needless to say, if he didn't go lay down, he'd be in a world of pain later. But his pride was wounded horribly. He didn't even hurt his back in a cool way, either. He fell down a damned flight of stairs. It was embarrassing. 

 

"Harry," Louis wrapped a hand around his wrist. "Stop. Let me get the nurse and we'll wheel you back to the room." 

 

"I'm not helpless." He snapped, squeezing the walker where he held it. 

 

"I know." Louis was sincere. "But you're hurt. And I can't stand to see you in pain, and right now you're in pain. So let me get the nurse and you can lay down." 

 

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Louis cut him off. 

 

"Don't do it for yourself," He said. "Do it for me. For my peace of mind."

 

He really couldn't stand to see that look on Louis' face, so he conceded with a heavy sigh. "Fine." 

 

Louis looked as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Great, I'll be right back." He walked towards the nurse's station, readjusting Atty on his hip. Harry watched as he spoke to a nurse, motioning back, and he felt uncomfortable when she nodded and began pushing a wheelchair towards him. 

 

He was sure his cheeks were a bright red as he sat down, but that's as far as he would let it go. He insisted that Louis push him back to the room. So Louis did, placing Atty gently in Harry's lap. Harry couldn't think of his pain when he was holding his lovely baby boy. Atty was a treasure to him. 

 

In the room, he was helped onto the bed without much difficulty, and he felt so much better when he was laying down. He'd really winded himself. 

 

"At least you walked," Louis was happy. "So you're not paralyzed." 

 

Harry gave him the side-eye. "Thankfully." He replied dryly. 

 

"Hey." Louis sat on the edge of Harry's bed and looked at him. "I'm really glad you're okay." 

 

Harry nodded. "I'm sensing a ' _but_ '," 

 

"Right. But, if you ever pull some stupid shit like this again, Harry, you won't need a hospital. Because I'll kill you." He said sweetly. "I mean it. This is like the third time you've tried to leave me with the kids." 

 

"Not on purpose." Harry cracked. He reached out and squeezed Louis' thigh. "I've said it a million times, I'm never going to leave you." 

 

"It's hard to believe when you're so clumsy." Louis replied. "Seriously, Harry. A flight of stairs?" 

 

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He would never live it down. On his deathbed, Louis would lean over him and say, " _Really Harry? A flight of stairs?_ ". It was going to be the staple conversation at every Christmas, birthday, and family function. He simply could not wait. 

 

"Yes, baby," He answered, already tired of the question. "I got a call while walking down a busy hallway. I was on the seventh floor, where it's always loud. I stepped into the stairwell and took the call. I walked back and forth distractedly. Miscalculated a step and tumbled down them like I had bricks tied to my shoes." 

 

When he opened his eyes again, Louis was grinning down at him. 

 

"I like the way you tell the story." Louis said brightly. "I'm going to use the bricks tied to your shoes part, if you don't mind. That's gold." 

 

Harry pouted and crossed his arms. "You're so mean. Here I am, laying in a hospital bed, on the  _brink_ of death, and you're - " 

 

"You are such diva." Louis rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you." 

 

"Louis," Harry couldn't help but whine. "They're going to come and hook my IV's back up in a minute." 

 

Louis quirked a brow. "And?" 

 

Biting his lip, Harry gave Louis a look. It was a look they'd both shared time and time again throughout their marriage. Of course, it was a look that couldn't be ignored or denied. 

 

Louis sighed. "Fine." He stood from the side of Harry's bed. "What do you want?" 

 

"Fried chicken, please." Harry answered immediately. He'd had the food on his brain for quite awhile. 

 

"Anything else?" He was already gathering a list of ingredients in his head, deciding that he wouldn't need to stop anywhere. 

 

Harry shrugged and leaned back against his propped up pillows. He looked calm and collected. One would never know that he'd cried that morning because the pain was unbearable. "The fixin's." 

 

Rolling his eyes again, Louis nodded. "Right. I'll be back soon. I might need to stop and get potatoes - " 

 

"Wait," Harry interrupted, holding a hand up. "You're making it? I'd be fine with drive-through." 

 

Louis looked shocked, and mildly disgusted. "Of course I'm making it!" The very thought of him serving Harry drive-through chicken while in the hospital was insane. "You're in the hospital. What you need is a home-cooked meal."

 

He leaned over Harry and kissed his forehead, tucking a few strands of Harry's hair back. He'd wash it later, and probably the rest of Harry's body as well. He wondered if they were going to be able to get clearance for Harry to bathe. 

 

"While I can't control the pain you're in," He continued. "I can control what you eat. Can't have my Harry eating poorly." 

 

"You are the most amazing creature." Harry sighed, almost dreamily. And pulling away, Louis saw how tired Harry seemed. The walking must be catching up to him. 

 

"Yes, you're lucky." Louis agreed. "Now, press the morphine button and go to sleep. I might be a few hours. You can get a good nap in." 

 

"On your way out," Harry said, watching as Louis began to gather Atty and his things up. "Can you speak to the nurses and see if we can't do my MRI later?" 

 

"Of course, love." Louis answered. He propped Atty on one hip and slung his diaper bag over his shoulder. "I love you. If I come back and you've gone and croaked, I'll - " 

 

"-kill me." Harry finished for him, a tiny smirk on his lips. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard that threat while married to you." 

 

Flashing a bright smile, Louis winked. "And you'll hear it plenty more, as well. Again, I love you, go to sleep, try not to die." 

 

"In that order?" Harry asked cheekily. 

 

Nodding, Louis opened the door. "In that order." He confirmed, letting it shut behind him. Turning to Atty, he said, "Now, let's get home and get cooking." 

 

-

 

"When is Daddy coming home?" Lucas asked, sitting at the kitchen island. He was swinging his feet, letting them bump gently into the wood in front of them. 

 

"I'm not sure, love." Louis answered honestly, dipping the chicken into a batter mixture. He'd gone straight home, gave Atty some food, and began on Harry's. It took him no time to whip up mash and gravy and, admittedly, frozen bread rolls. 

 

"Is he okay?" Lucas was very concerned about Harry and his health. He loved his Daddy very much. 

 

"He sure is." Louis nodded. "Misses you all very much." 

 

"Would it be alright if I go and see him?" Lucas knew that hospitals were really for grownups, because little kids didn't know what went on in them. He also knew that while in the hospital, sometimes people needed to get better before having visitors. 

 

"How about I ask him when I go back?" Louis offered. "And if he says yes, then you all can visit him tomorrow. But Daddy has to have a procedure called an MRI done, which is where they take a picture of Daddy's body and look at the inside of it, and that will tell us when he's ready to come home. And he has to have physical therapy, which may make him tired." 

 

"I understand." Lucas said. "My math teacher had to have back surgery last year and he didn't come back until after Christmas." 

 

"And you made him a nice card," Louis remembered fondly. 

 

Lucas nodded proudly. "He has it framed on his desk. He's my favorite." 

 

Casting Lucas a knowing, sideways glance, Louis said, "I thought Finny was your favorite?" 

 

He didn't miss the blush that crept onto Lucas's face. He thought it was adorable. 

 

"Finny  _is_ my favorite." He corrected. "Can I go and call him?" 

 

"You sure can." Louis allowed. "But only until your grandma gets back!" His mum was watching the kids, and had gone home to gather up more clothes. 

 

"Thank you!" Lucas cried, sliding down from the stool he was sitting on. He darted out of the room, excited. 

 

Louis smiled to himself and continued cooking. He had a hunch that FInn and Lucas would get married someday. 


	57. Chapter 57

Louis watched as Harry ate, smiling when he watched as every bit of food he'd prepared disappeared quickly. Harry wasn't kidding when he said he was starving, and Louis was right when he'd replied that Harry just needed a home cooked meal. Already, Harry was looking better. 

 

Brushing the hair away from Harry's forehead, he stood. "You finish eating, my love." He said. "And I'll go speak to the nurses about giving you a bath." 

 

"I don't think that I'll be allowed anything more than a sponge bath," Harry licked the grease off of his thumb and quirked an eyebrow at Louis. 

 

Louis shrugged and headed for the door. "You just never know." He left the room and searched for the nurse. While he was gone, Harry finished up and managed to put the empty containers back into the bag Louis had brought. Just as he was sliding the last one in, the door reopened and Louis and the nurse came in. 

 

"That was quick." Harry commented. 

 

"I hear we want a bath?" The nurse asked, and even though she meant no harm, Harry still felt the comment was humiliating. He wasn't used to being so helpless. He could bathe himself, but not quite yet. 

 

"I was actually wondering when he'd be able to have a full submersion." Louis told her. "I know sometimes a sponge bath just isn't the same." 

 

"Right," She began. "Well, we'd have to check the incision site. It's been two days since your surgery, and that alone means that a sponge bath is the only thing we can offer right now." 

 

Louis nodded. "Now, I'll be giving it to him, obviously. But is there any other option? What if he just sat in a bath with very little water?" 

 

"We can actually offer a little bit better," The nurse smiled. She liked Louis and Harry, so she always pulled a few strings with them. "How about a shower? There's a railing and a chair in there, and you'd have to be very careful with where the water hits him." 

 

"Deal," Louis grinned. "I like the sound of that better." 

 

"Me too." Harry grumbled. It was as if he wasn't even in the room with them. 

 

"Oh, relax love." Louis kissed his cheek. "And get ready for your shower."

 

Louis began gathering some things up as the nurse checked Harry's back. He grabbed the toiletry bag and headed to set up in the bathroom. It was more spacious than he remembered, which was good. Even the shower was spacious, with a curtain as well as a sliding glass door. He began sitting the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash onto the counter. 

 

"Alright, Louis, everything looks good!" The nurse stopped by on her way out of the room. "I've taken his IV's out and given him an oral medicine that will have the same effect. He's all set up with a walker." 

 

"I have a question," He said. "After the shower, can he put on his own clothes? I know he couldn't before, but..." 

 

The nurse smiled and nodded. "Of course. Whatever he feels most comfortable in."

 

"Thank you." He watched her leave, noticing that she flipped a little tab on the outside of their door. It meant  _do not disturb._ He smiled to himself as he left the bathroom. To his pleasant surprise, Harry was already standing and slowly making his way across the floor. 

 

"Thought I'd beat you to it." Harry puffed. He still struggled, but was walking much better than before. 

 

"And you're doing an amazing job." Louis encouraged, helping Harry all the way to the bathroom. Harry sat on the closed toilet lid as Louis put the walker back outside and closed the door. 

 

"This will be only slightly humiliating." Harry muttered as Louis began untying his gown. 

 

"Why?" Louis questioned, brows furrowed. 

 

"Because, I'll be naked and helpless and injured." Harry replied. "I can't even bathe myself." 

 

"Harry," Louis hung Harry's gown up over a railing hooked to the wall. He assumed towels went there. "How many times have you bathed me when I was naked and helpless and injured?" 

 

"That's not - " 

 

"It's  _exactly_ the same." Louis cut him off. "You've washed me after every birth I've gone through, every horrific, painful c-section, and when we thought we were losing the last two babies. You just pulled me right along and took care of me. Now, it's my turn. Now get up, I promise I won't look at your bits." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes and stamped his embarrassment down as Louis helped him stand and into the shower. He sat on the chair and watched in surprise as Louis stripped himself. He didn't mind it though, as it was a little show. 

 

"Think this is against hospital policy?" He asked, stepping in. He turned and began fiddling with the knobs. 

 

Harry stared directly at the beautiful arse in front of him, and couldn't help but give it a squeeze. He was only human after all. 

 

"Stop it, perv." Louis said, only jumping a bit when the water finally began spraying. 

 

"Can't help myself." Harry replied. It was the God's honest truth. 

 

"Now," Louis turned, grabbing the detachable shower head. "Let's get the hair cleaned. I love you, but it was a little gross." 

 

Harry tipped his head back at Louis' direction, singsonging, "If you can't handle me at my worst..." 

 

"I've handled you in every situation imaginable." Louis replied. He got Harry's hair thoroughly wet and began to lather shampoo in it. He scratched at Harry's scalp as he did, knowing that it made Harry relaxed. He could see the tension escape his husband's body. 

 

He took his time, rinsing the shampoo out, working conditioner through his wet curls, and rinsing that out as well. He combed through Harry's hair, knowing full well that Harry must be almost asleep, if his head lolling back against Louis' tummy was anything to go by. 

 

"Babe," He kept his voice at a whisper. He wanted this shower to feel like a spa day for Harry. "I'm going to wash your body now." 

 

Harry mumbled something, and Louis caught his eyes flickering open. They were unfocused, a tell-tale sign that he was almost asleep. As he gathered up the body wash and loofah, he felt proud of himself for being so gentle with Harry. 

 

He slid the shower head back up and the warm spray began covering both of their bodies. Soon, the shower cubicle became cloudy and intimate with steam. It was cozy. Louis loved it. 

 

He lathered up and washed Harry's shoulders, down his arms and around to his stomach. The muscles in Harry's tummy clenched involuntarily, and it shouldn't have been as hot as it was. Keeping his eyes forward, he moved down each leg, laughing when Harry jerked his ticklish feet away. 

 

"Gonna wash my bits?" Harry spoke, and there was a cheeky tone in his voice. 

 

Glancing up from his spot on his knees, Louis answered. "Was gonna get to it." He said, pouring the soap directly in his hand. He glanced up at Harry's confused face as he wrapped his hand around Harry's cock. 

 

Harry's response was to jerk and hiss. "Louis," He whined. "I haven't came in forever." 

 

"Well, let me change that." Louis replied. He worked his hand up and down, knowing full well that Harry would come quickly. Something else would make him come in a heartbeat, so he leaned to the side and let the water rinse away the soap from Harry. When it was gone, he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the very tip. 

 

"Fuck," Harry almost yelped. "Baby," His fingers tangled in Louis' wet hair and he gently began guiding Louis' head. He was already so close to coming, and the tight heat of Louis' mouth was speeding the process up. 

 

Louis relaxed his mouth and pulled away, pressing his thumb to the slit. "Harry," Already, his voice was hoarse. "Take your time. Let me take mine." 

 

"I know," Harry jerked his head in a nod. "I know. Fuck, I just haven't - " 

 

"I know," Louis replied. He understood how Harry got when he hadn't orgasmed in awhile. "Just relax, babe. Let me take care of you." 

 

He slid his mouth back over Harry's cock, working his tongue underneath it. He knew all the tricks Harry liked and didn't like. You learn those sort of things after almost ten years of marriage. He used his other hand to play with Harry's balls, rolling them, and before he knew it, he had a mouthful of warm come. 

 

Harry cursed, jerking his hips and holding Louis' head still as he came. He couldn't take his eyes off of the white substance that leaked out the sides of Louis' mouth, and that sight alone was enough to make him hard again. 

 

"Sorry," He apologized, knowing that Louis liked to have a bit of a warning. 

 

"It's fine." Louis answered, licking his lips. He'd found that over the course of their marriage, there were worse things than swallowing come. And, he'd sort of grown to like it. "All for you, love." 

 

Harry cupped his cheek and swiped his thumb right over Louis' eye, wiping away the droplets of water. "Let me do something." 

 

Louis shook his head. "No, Harry. Just for you today." 

 

"Let me finger you." Harry pleaded. "Or lick you out.  _God_ , I haven't done that in what feels like ages." 

 

Standing, Louis leaned forward and kissed Harry. It was the perfect way to get him to shut up. "Harry," He repeated. "Just for you today. I promise, the second you get better, I'm all yours. We can send the kids to my mum's and go to a hotel for the weekend. We'll never have to put any clothes on." 

 

Eyes heavy lidded, Harry nodded. "I like the sound of that." 

 

"I know. Now," Louis turned and shut the water off. "Let's get out and get back to bed. I don't know about you, but that made me tired."

 

"You know an orgasm always makes me tired." Harry agreed, and as if on cue, he yawned. 

 

Stepping out of the shower, Louis grabbed a towel. "I know. You sleep like a rock after an orgasm." He began drying Harry off, starting with his wet hair. He worked his way down, making sure to be extra careful with Harry's back. 

 

Glancing out of the open shower curtain, Harry saw the hospital gown. "I don't want to put that thing back on." He groaned. 

 

"Well, I have good news." Louis was eager to tell him. "You don't have to. I brought you some sweats and a comfy shirt." 

 

"Thank God." Harry sighed. He really hated that hospital gown. 

 

"Now," Louis dried himself off and slid on a pair of underwear. They were sexier than Harry imagined they would be, but then again,  _any_ type of panty on Louis was sexier than it should be. When he was done, he helped Harry stand, careful of the wet floor. "Let's get you dressed." 

 

Harry sat on the closed toilet seat again as Louis slid his briefs on, and then his socks, and then sweatpants. He had to stand to get them over his bottom, but it was a small price to pay. 

 

"I'll put your hair up before I put your shirt on." Louis said, grabbing a hair tie. "I don't want the collar of your shirt to get wet." 

 

"Very thoughtful." Harry replied, wincing as his hair was tugged back into a bun. After that, it was quick work getting his shirt on. He felt so much better, and even made it to the bed in record time. He was getting increasingly better at walking. 

 

"I know that there's no better feeling that slipping into warm, comfortable clothes after a shower and hopping into bed." Louis commented. "I know that whenever I'd have the babies, and I'd bleed and bleed, there was nothing I loved more than showering and laying in bed." 

 

"I know." Harry remembered. He would be the one who always helped Louis in the shower. "You like to wear my clothes. You'd always put them on afterwards." 

 

"To be fair," Louis pulled the covers up Harry's legs. "What's yours is mine." 

 

"I guess so." Harry grinned. "Not that I had any say in what you stole from me. My clothes, my heart - " 

 

"You're the worst." Louis shoved at him gently, but he was smiling and his cheeks were rosy. 

 

Harry held the blankets up and cocked his head. "Come up here, baby." He offered. "Sleep next to me." 

 

Not having to be told twice, Louis clambered up into the bed, curling up against Harry's bigger, warmer body. It was his favorite place in the world, and he was sure that it was Harry's as well. They laid there in the silence for so long, not speaking, that Louis thought Harry had fallen asleep. He was wrong. 

 

"Baby," Harry said, and he sounded dangerously close to sleep. So Louis was half-right. 

 

"Hm?" 

 

"When I get better," He began, voice quiet. "We're going to do it. I'm gonna take you to a hotel and I'm just going to love you all weekend." 

 

"Just the weekend?" Louis couldn't help but ask, poking Harry's stomach. 

 

Catching Louis' hand in his, Harry squeezed. "Not just the weekend." He mumbled. "Gonna love you for the rest of my life." 

 

 


	58. Chapter 58

Harry felt like a baby. Or a toddler. He felt like a toddler. Louis was standing in front of him, wearing capris, a v-neck, and mismatched socks. He looked like heaven, but sounded ridiculous. Harry would roll his eyes if he weren't so damn attracted to his husband. 

 

"Come on, baby!" Louis encouraged, gesturing with his hands. He had a wide smile on and looked radiant. 

 

Gritting his teeth, Harry shuffled forward, gripping the railings of the stupid little bridge he had to cross. He was glad that he had the foresight to make sure the physical therapy room was empty, save for medical personnel. 

 

"Just a few more steps, love!" Louis was way too excited. 

 

"I'm not a toddler, for Christ's sake." Harry mumbled, 

 

"Of course not," Louis scoffed. "They learn much better than you do."

 

Harry stopped and stared at his husband with narrow eyes, which of course went away with Louis' gleaming smile. 

 

"I'm just kidding, love. Now," He began waving his hands again, gesturing for Harry to move forward. "I've taught our children to walk, and I can certainly teach you." 

 

"I don't need to be taught," Harry reminded him, a little breathlessly. Who knew he would be so winded? "I know how to walk, I just need my legs to cooperate with my brain." 

 

With a sly grin, Louis said, "The quicker you walk, the quicker you can get it in."

 

Harry gasped and glanced over at the nurses, one who was watching but seemed to have heard nothing. The other was completely oblivious, writing on her clipboard with an obnoxious pink feather pen. 

 

"Baby!" He chastised quietly, giggling despite himself. "You can't say that." 

 

"Sure I can." Louis shrugged. Harry had learned over the course of their marriage that Louis had absolutely no filter whatsoever. 

 

"The quicker I'm done, the quicker I can go lay down." Harry corrected Louis' statement, moments later. He didn't quite realize how tired he was after walking. He assumed it would be an ongoing thing, at least for the next few months. 

 

Concern quickly etched itself across Louis' face, and despite the nurses telling him to let Harry walk by himself, he crept closer to his husband. "Do you need help? Do you want to sit down? Are you tired?" 

 

The influx of questions made Harry smile and shake his head. "Not yet, love. Just winded. Who knew walking would be this hard?" 

 

"Are you sure? I can get a nurse to get a wheelchair - " Louis glanced over his shoulder for a nurse. They would be of no help. He was the only person who could help Harry. It was a fact. 

 

"Baby," Harry interrupted. "I'm fine." 

 

Louis looked unsure, and he wanted to take care of Harry, but he also knew that Harry had to take care of himself, too. Louis couldn't walk for him, no matter how much he wanted to. 

 

"Fine." Louis stepped back, watching his husband with careful eyes. It was a trait he'd picked up long ago, and it came in handy. Harry was as banged up as anyone could be, and it drove him crazy. 

 

"I like your shirt, baby." Harry told him. It really was a fantastic shirt. A v-neck, plain and simple, but a bit too big on Louis' small frame. 

 

Louis looked down, pinching the fabric between his fingers and pulling it away from his body. "Thanks. Me too. Yves Saint Laurent sent you a bunch of things a few days ago, I think this was in one of the boxes." 

 

Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Always stealing my clothes, huh?" 

 

"Uh, yeah." Louis rolled his eyes. "And Gucci sent you some  _godawful_ suits." 

 

Quirking a brow, Harry took some careful steps forward. He was afraid of stepping down too hard and hurting his back. He didn't want to be a wimp in front of Louis, though Louis had seen him cry more than once. 

 

"Yeah? You'll have to show me pictures." He requested. 

 

Louis pulled out his phone and began scrolling. "I took a few. I sent them to Niall so we could make fun of them." 

 

Rolling his eyes, Harry huffed under his breath, "Of fucking course." 

 

"Although, you look good in anything you put on, so." Louis shrugged. "I'll show you once you get done. You're making me a nervous wreck." 

 

Loosening his grip on the rail, Harry looked at Louis. "Do you remember," He began, glancing down briefly. He was  _so_ close. "When you'd just had surgery? After Atty? And I would coddle you day and night?" 

 

"Yes." Louis answered, already knowing where Harry was headed. 

 

"And I left you alone for  _two seconds_ , and when I came back, you were upstairs? Like, standing at the top of the stairs? How you managed to hobble yourself from the guest room to the top of the stairs, I'll never know, but you did. And I legitimately thought I was going to have a heart attack." 

 

"I wanted to walk down the stairs on my own." Louis reminded him. "And I did."

 

"My sanity was at stake, Louis. I felt nauseous. I thought I would croak before you got down them. All I could think about was you missing a step and tumbling down them. I got a few grey hairs that day." 

 

"You did not." Louis put his hands on his hips. "Drama queen." 

 

" _Louis_ ," Harry paused, staring exasperatedly. "Baby. You're killing me." 

 

"I love you." Louis replied sweetly, batting his eyelashes. Harry was a sucker for his eyelashes. "And you're almost here! Hurry up, I'm hungry." 

 

"Didn't you eat lunch?" Harry asked, shuffling forward. When his toes hit the edge of the bridge, a nurse seemed to materialize right next to him, with a wheelchair. 

 

"No. I didn't have time. The kids were a bit annoying today." Louis answered, allowing Harry to steady himself on his body. When he was fully seated, the nurse let Louis take over the pushing.

 

"How were they annoying?" Harry asked, relaxing in the seat. He didn't realize how much he loved sitting until he was unable to do so comfortably. 

 

Pushing Harry out the swinging doors, Louis took a right, which would lead them back to Harry's room. "It was like they all woke up this morning and decided they wouldn't get along." 

 

"With each other?" 

 

"With  _me._ " Louis answered. "They wouldn't agree on what to have for breakfast or lunch, so I had to make like ten different things, they wouldn't agree on what movie to watch. They fought over everything, Harry. Toys, books, electronics, the  _dogs_. I was about to go insane, but my mum showed up just in time." 

 

Listening to Louis talk, Harry was beginning to hear how tired he really was. "Baby, I told you to stop doing that. If they don't eat what you cook, then they don't eat. They'll learn eventually." 

 

Louis sighed heavily. "It just sounds so cruel to me." 

 

"It's not cruel. They'll learn to take what they're given. It was how I was raised." 

 

"But your childhood was sort of dark." Louis reminded him. "And your dad was very mean to you." He remembered, many years ago, when he'd first learned that Harry's father was nothing short of emotionally abusive. He would push and push Harry to many breaking points, over and over again. He hated it, but when Des made amends, Harry forgave him. It was bittersweet. 

 

"And our children's childhoods are not dark." Harry said. "They've got everything they want. Now they just need to learn manners." 

 

"They're very well behaved," Louis reminded Harry, turning down a hallway. "But it's like they know how much they can get away with. They act a bit spoiled sometimes." 

 

Harry nodded. He knew what Louis was talking about. "They've never had to do without, so they don't know the value of things." He agreed. "Have we ever considered taking away their toys?" 

 

"Only a few dozen times." Louis answered. 

 

"Well, let's do it again. And if they don't learn, Bean stays home from footie, Lucas stays home from ballet, and the girls can't do their gymnastics anymore. Simple as that. I think keeping them from a class or two will really make them understand."

 

"I guess." Louis sighed. "I'm just so tired. I think I'll stay the night here." 

 

Harry tilted his head back, looking at Louis upside down. He grinned when Louis bent over and kissed his forehead. "You can sleep right next to me." He offered. "We can spoon."

 

"I don't think you can lay on your sides yet, can you?" Louis pushed Harry into his empty room, right up to the bed, and parked the wheelchair. "You're a side sleeper, so I can't imagine how hard it is for you to not be able to sleep on your side." 

 

Harry allowed Louis to help him stand, and he sat himself on the edge of the bed. "Really? I think I'm more of a back sleeper. I always wake up on my back." 

 

When Harry was situated and out of any danger of falling off of the bed and killing himself, Louis pushed the chair across the room. "Yes, but you always fall asleep plastered to my back." He reminded Harry. 

 

"To be fair," Harry pointed. "You can't fall asleep unless I'm there." 

 

Giving Harry a soft smile, Louis sat on the bed next to him. "No, I can't." He agreed. "Maybe that's why I'm so tired. You weren't there with me last night." 

 

"Soon." Harry promised. "The doctor said another week, but let's see if I can charm it into three or four days." 

 

"I'm sure you can." He replied. Harry Styles could charm his way out of anything and everything. 

 

"Now," Harry settled back against the pillows and stared at Louis. "Run home, get some things, order some food, and come right back here. I need to spend a night with my best boy." He winked, making Louis blush. 

 

"I shouldn't be long." Louis stood, leaning forward to kiss Harry. He would make sure that he wouldn't stay too long. A night of takeout and Harry was enough to have him hurry. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's such a chore to write anymore :(


	59. Chapter 59

Three days later, Harry was set to go home. He'd pushed through the slight twinge of pain he got when walking, and now made circles around the hospital floor he was stuck on. It really impressed the nurses, and the doctor well enough to send him home. He still sort of hobbled, but it was better than being pushed everywhere by Louis, who was a little speed-racer with the wheelchair.

 

"Okay." Louis entered Harry's room, holding a pharmacy bag. "I went ahead and filled your prescription, and I spoke to the pharmacist about it." 

 

"Did you get me the good stuff?" Harry waggled his eyebrows and zipped his suitcase. 

 

"Only the best for my baby." Louis confirmed. "He told me that these pills are strong, so obviously no driving, operating heavy machinery, and avoid stairs and bathtubs once you take one." 

 

"Stairs  _and_ bathtubs?" Harry let out a low whistle. "There go my plans for the evening." 

 

Rolling his eyes, Louis took the suitcase from Harry. "Your plans for the evening are laying in bed and eating pizza with me." He informed his spouse. "That's it. You are going to take it easy, whether you like it or not." 

 

"I'm not fragile." Harry pouted. 

 

"No, but your back is." Louis said. "And if you and your back ever come back here again, I'll go absolutely crazy." 

 

"I promise." Harry crossed his heart. "No more visits to the hospital." 

 

"Good." Louis looked around the room, searching for anything he or Harry might have forgotten in their packing. When it was clear, he grabbed Harry's hand and they left the room Harry had called home for the past week and a half. 

 

"Are you driving home?" Harry asked. They came to a stop in front of the elevator, and he pressed the button. 

 

"Yes." Louis answered. "The boys are so excited to see you." 

 

"And my girls aren't?" Harry smiled. 

 

"Of course they are. Even Duke is excited to see you." Louis informed him. "And Pancake as well." 

 

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. Harry was thankful that it was empty. 

 

"Good. I'm excited to see them as well." He pushed the first floor button and watched the doors slide shut. "How's your mum? She's not put out by watching the kids so much?" 

 

Louis looked at Harry like he was insane. "Are you kidding? She loves it. She lives for those grandbabies." 

 

"I guess." Harry agreed. 

 

"Your mum actually said she might drop in later today. I think her and Robin are taking a trip up here." Louis told him. 

 

"I think I'll ask her why she didn't feel it necessary to visit me during this stay." Harry huffed. He was a little bitter. And he was also a little mummy's boy. 

 

 

"I told her not to come." Louis announced, glancing at Harry. "It's not that big of a deal, and honestly, Harry, you can't call your mum every time you get a little scratch." 

 

Harry gasped. His mouth hung open and he was shocked, to say the least. "I don't call my mum for every little scratch." He replied indignantly. 

 

Only slightly rolling his eyes, Louis nodded. "Whatever you say, love." 

 

The elevator doors dinged and slid open. Harry, as he always did, put his hand on Louis' lower back, leading him out of the elevator. Walking was still a bit tough, but he was managing, and made it out of the hospital just fine. He was proud of himself. 

 

As they walked to the car, Louis said, "You do realize that I'm going to put you on bed rest, right?" 

 

Harry exhaled slowly. Louis liked to play nurse, and while he loved it during roleplay, he didn't love it when he had to lay in bed for hours and hours a day. He was perfectly fine. 

 

"But," Louis continued. "I'll still make you walk around. No stairs though." He gave Harry a look. Stairs were how they ended up in the mess they were currently in. 

 

Harry nodded. "No stairs." He agreed. Louis was the boss of him. 

 

They reached the SUV, and Louis stood behind Harry as he climbed awkwardly inside. He could feel Louis' nerves fraying when he slipped, but he managed to get into a seated position and Louis' hair had no gray in it. It was a win-win for everyone, sort of. 

 

"Let's get home," Louis said, backing out of the parking space. As they drove out of the parking lot, he glanced up at the quickly darkening sky. "It looks like it could pour at any second."

 

Harry did the same, eyeing the sky. It _was_ almost summer, and they _did_ have bad storms during summertime. "Hurry. I don't like the idea of you driving in this weather."

 

Louis glanced over at him. "And you think I do?" He asked dryly. "I especially don't feel good about it with _you_ , who was just released from the hospital, in the car with me."

 

"Everything will be fine," Harry soothed. "Let's just get home."

 

"We actually have to stop and get dinner first." Louis chewed his lip. If they went the short way through London, it would mean driving in gridlock. But, if they went the long way, which would actually end up being shortest in the long run, they'd hit virtually no traffic, and get to look at the scenic countryside for thirty minutes.

 

"That's what delivery is for." Harry shook his head. "Absolutely no stopping. We'll order in when we get home. I'm thinking Italian."

 

"Really?" Louis asked, turning the car onto the road that would lead them home in half an hour. "I was thinking Chinese."

 

Groaning, Harry let his head thump against the window. "We eat Chinese all the time." He complained. "It was your most consistent pregnancy craving. Aren't you supposed to be sick of Chinese after eating it so much? Isn't that a thing?"

 

"No, it's not a thing." Louis replied. "And it was a comfort food to me. If you don't get pregnant, you don't get a say in what we eat."

 

"Fine, fine," Harry surrendered. He could pretend all he wanted about knowing how pregnancy worked, but when it came down to it, he was more clueless than any of them. He just went with the flow, along with the ride.

 

"I don't want to strong-arm you," Louis looked over at him. "We can have Italian. The more I think about it, actually, the more I want it."

 

"You sure?" Harry asked. "We can get whatever you want."

 

"You're a bit annoying. I take into consideration what you want as much as what I want." Louis looked over at Harry, giggling when he saw Harry's frowning face. "I'm kidding, love."

 

"Good." Harry uncrossed his arms. "How are we on groceries?"

 

"Cabinets won't close, refrigerator won't close, you know how it goes." Louis answered. He looked out his window for a few brief seconds. They were driving through the hilly green countryside, and he adored it. He'd always think of buying a house and moving out here with Harry when the kids were away at university. It was his dream.

 

"Good." Harry said. "How much longer til home, do you think?"

 

"You've driven this route before, love." Louis reminded him.

 

"Yeah, but my medicine makes me wonky." Harry whined.

 

"About twenty minutes, my love." Louis sighed, looking at Harry. The man was ridiculous. "We'll be there in no time."

 

-

 

Harry was completely prepared to be swarmed by all of his offspring when he walked into his house, bud sadly, he was not. He pouted and looked around. The foyer was clean, but that was it. No children running rampant.

 

"Thanks for holding the door, love." Louis crowded in behind him, dropping the hospital bag onto the floor. It landed on the wood with a loud thump.

 

"I hint a bit of sarcasm." Harry drawled, peering down at Louis, who was a bit disheveled and damp from the sprinkle of rain.

 

Giving him a bright smile, Louis chirped, "Good." He walked down the hallway, presumably looking for their children as well. Harry followed. Louis could sniff his babies out from miles away.

 

They found the babies outside, playing while the rain wasn't yet bad. Worried that it might turn worse quickly, and also excited for them to see Harry, Louis called them all inside. They thundered in, one by one, taking the towels from Harry and drying their faces.

 

Ollie and Theo bypassed the towels and wrapped themselves around Harry's lower half, holding on for dear life.

 

"Be careful, loves." Jay reminded them gently, holding Atty in her arms. She was Anne's step-in, when the woman couldn't be around to watch her poorly son.

 

"We are." Lucas made sure to approach Harry with caution, and when the twins stepped away, already bored with their daddy, he wrapped his arms around Harry's waist gently. He nuzzled his forehead against his daddy's stomach. "I missed you, Daddy."

 

Ruffling Lucas's soft, brown hair, Harry said, "I know, baby. I missed you too."

 

Lucas peered up at Harry. "I don't want to overwhelm you," He began, stepping back. "So when you're settled in bed, I'd like to show you my schoolwork."

 

Smiling, and a bit stunned at how polite and well-spoken Lucas was, Harry nodded. "I'd love that."

 

Lucas nodded, smiling to himself. He excused himself away from the crowd of his family and headed off to find some of his best schoolwork from the week. He prided himself on being a model student, and he kept his studies up and practiced ballet, _and_ was beginning to dabble in painting. It was something he enjoyed, and Finn was also in his art class at school. It was a plus.

 

"Daddy," Bean stepped forward, handing Louis his damp towel. "I'd like to show you some of my schoolwork as well. And I have to talk to you about the footie game two days ago."

 

Harry had been upset that he wasn't able to see Bean's footie game in person, but Louis, God bless him, had gone and FaceTimed Harry, so he got to see the whole thing. FaceTime was a genius invention.

 

"Of course." He agreed. "We have to talk about that goal you scored."

 

Bean preened, and Harry took a few seconds to study him. Bean was the spitting image of himself, with curly brown hair and bright green eyes. His nose was strong and sloped, and two dimples were carved on his cheeks. He also had Harry's drive. He had a certain determination about him and a sense of sportsmanship that would make anyone proud. Harry was the proudest of him all, besides Louis, who was his children's number one fan.

 

"Bella, Olivia," Harry turned to his daughters. Bella's hair was braided and she was wearing an outfit that reminded him of Bella's mother. Olivia's hair was pulled back into a ballerina bun, with little wisps escaping. Her outfit was one only a Styles child could concoct: a bright pink shirt, yellow leggings, and cowgirl boots on her feet.

 

"Hi, Daddy!" Bella glanced up from her dolls. Though she greeted him happily, she gave him a brief once-over, deemed him not worthy of her time, and continued to play. Olivia did the same, but she blew a kiss.

 

"Is that it?" Harry asked, looking around. "Have I really greeted all of my children?"

 

Jay held Atty out, and the baby squirmed and squealed in her arms. Louis knew it was because he saw Harry. Atty was a daddy's boy, through and through.

 

"Of course not!" Harry cooed, taking his little baby. "How could I have forgotten about my little Atticus, hm?" He ticked Atty's stomach, backing up to sit down on the couch. As soon as he sat down, he realized just how tired his body was.

 

"I'm going to decide what's for dinner," Louis said, scratching a hand through Harry's curls. "Mum, are you staying for dinner?"

 

Jay shook her head. "Thank you, dear, but I must get home. You know how your father is with bad weather. Someone has to be there to keep him from turning our house into a bunker."

 

Louis stood, walking with his mother to the door. "Hey, it's safe to be prepared. I'm glad he's on top of things."

 

At the door, Jay stuffed her feet into her shoes and grabbed her coat, sliding it on. "Sometimes, love, it's best just to wait it out." She winked at him and grabbed her keys. She loved dropping little unexpected bits of wisdom.

 

"Drive safe," He kissed her cheek and hugged her. "I'll call you later tonight."

 

"Okay, love." She opened the door and peered out into the sky. "Doesn't look too bad, yet."

 

"Love you!" He called, watching. He wanted to make sure she was safely in the car before closing the door. He waved to her and watched as her white car drove down the street. When he couldn't see it anymore, he closed the door and rubbed his hands together.

 

Now, it was time to face the task of dinner.

 


	60. Chapter 60

Harry peered down into Archie's bed with a small pout. "It never occurred to me that Archie wasn't downstairs." He said, looking to Louis. Ideally, they would be staring down at one of their little offspring with awe and admiration, and they used to do it all the time, holding hands and cooing down at their little creation. Now, they appreciated their children as they multitasked. Louis was folding clothes in the dim lamplight of the room.

 

"Me neither." Louis had no shame in admitting that he occasionally forgot about his children every now and then. He began folding a pile of Archie's little shirts. "But then again, I sometimes forget my own name, so."

 

Harry wanted to lean down and kiss Archie, but he was very tall and Archie's bed was very short, so he settled for blowing a kiss. It's not like the three year old would miss it. "Why are you folding clothes?" He walked over to Louis and wrapped his arms around his little spouse's middle.

 

"Because they need folding." Louis answered simply. "And you're handicapped for the time being."

 

"Am not." Harry argued, nipping at Louis' neck. Maybe, if he kept it up, he would get lucky. He hadn't explored the wonderland that is Louis' body in a long time, and he was missing it.

 

"Yes you are. You're supposed to be laying in bed." Louis sat the shirt he was in the midst of folding down and turned to look up at Harry. "Go lay down. I'll be there in a moment."

 

Harry whined. "Why can't you come with me? Your mum already put the kids to sleep. There's nothing more for you to do."

 

Louis quirked an eyebrow, as if Harry's words were challenging. "There's laundry to do, laundry to fold, I have to steam your delicate clothes, clean the kitchen, let the dogs out, clean the den, make sure the kids' backpacks are packed for school in the morning, make sure there are enough groceries to last until tomorrow afternoon, watch you and make sure you don't fall down the stairs anymore - "

 

"I get it." Harry laughed, sealing a hand across Louis' mouth. "I get it. Those things can wait. Come to bed."

 

Louis wanted to protest, he really did, but the way Harry was looking at him made him give up completely. He nodded and followed Harry out of Archie's bedroom, making sure to turn out the light as they went.

 

"Let me just check on everyone else - " Louis paused in front of Bean's bedroom door, but Harry tugged him along.

 

"They're fine." He promised, not stopping until they were both in their bedroom with the door shut. He turned to face his spouse, cupping Louis' face in his hands. "You worry a lot."

 

"I can't help it." Louis sniffed.

 

"It's not a bad thing." Harry promised, smoothing his thumb over Louis' soft cheekbones. "I don't know how I got so lucky, matching with someone who cares so much about my babies."

 

Louis fixed Harry with a look. "You got quite lucky." He agreed after a few moments.

 

"But," He led Louis to the bed. "You need to learn to relax."

 

Louis sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Harry. "I know you went to uni and everything, so you're smart, but let's do some math. We have eight children, yes?"

 

Harry nodded, playing along. "I believe so." He answered.

 

Louis continued. "And you work a lot. We have six children in school, for what - six? - hours, so that leaves me at home with two babies, aged three and eight months. In that time, I have to send six kids to school after feeding them all, make sure the house is clean, make sure we have enough groceries and clean clothes to last the week. If not, I have to wash  an obscene amount of clothes, and grocery shop for ten people. After that, I have to come home and put the groceries away, fold the laundry, and put it away."

 

Harry crossed his arms and stared down at Louis. "Okay, baby."

 

"And more often than not, I'm either pregnant and doing all of those things, or you're injured in some way. Or a baby is sick or they're fighting or something So there's that. I have a lot to worry about, Harry." Louis finished, leaning back on his hands. He looked up at his handsome lover. Harry had his lower lip pinched between two of his fingers and it was hotter than it should have been. 

 

"I see your point, bunny." Harry stepped forward, until his thighs were pressing against the bed and he was looming over Louis.

 

"Bunny?" Louis shrieked, leaning back as Harry kept moving. He didn't stop until they were in a compromising position.

 

Harry nodded, caging Louis in. "Bunny." He repeated. "You are so cute and small, like a little bunny."

 

"And you are ridiculous." Louis rolled his eyes. He couldn't help but smile, though. Harry was ridiculous but he was so sweet and charming. "And you should be laying down."

 

"Technically," Harry quirked an eyebrow. "I _am_ laying down."

 

Huffing, Louis maneuvered himself out from under Harry's lean body. "On a surface that isn't _me_." He got to his knees on the bed and pointed to Harry's side. "Lay down. Now."

 

Humming, Harry smiled sweetly at Louis. "How hard would you punch me if I told you I wanted to take a shower?"

 

Narrowing his eyes, Louis glared at Harry and climbed off of the bed. "Very hard." He answered, planting his hands on his hips. He wasn't able to hold his mean glare for long, because after just a few seconds of looking at Harry's goofy expression, he cracked. Sighing, he turned towards the bathroom. "Let's go."

 

"Baby," Harry reached forward, flapping his hand in the air until Louis stepped forward, locking his own with Harry's. "It can wait. You look exhausted."

 

"No, it's fine. Come on." Despite his words, Louis found himself crawling into bed and collapsing onto his side. Once his head hit his pillow, he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

 

"It can wait." Harry repeated, leaning over. He kissed Louis' forehead and brushed the wispy brown hair away from his forehead. He could wait to take a shower. Louis' rest was more important, especially since he did so much. 

 

"Right." Louis mumbled. "My clothes." He tugged at his shirt, then let his hands flop to his sides. He would sleep in jeans, he didn't mind. As long as he didn't have to get back up and change. 

 

Harry, being the loving and caring husband that he was, he sat up and undressed his little lover. He tossed every article of clothing to the floor. When Louis was down to his underwear, he slid his own shirt off and slipped it right over Louis' head. He knew Louis loved wearing his clothes, especially if they were still warm from his body. 

 

"I think you're going to sleep in tomorrow." Harry said, mainly to himself. He situated himself again and turned his lamp off. When the room was bathed in darkness, he laid down and looked at the ceiling. "I think I'll be able to convince your mum to watch the babies for another day. You deserve some time off. Maybe I'll book you a long session at that new spa that just opened up. I heard it was very exclusive." 

 

He turned his head and looked at Louis. He was overwhelmed with love. He couldn't believe that the soft, sweet, boy next to him was  _his_. It was mind-blowing to him that Louis had looked at him, and then decided to spend the rest of his life with him. Louis decided to carry his babies, and raise them to be good, and Louis had decided to stick with him through thick and thin.

 

Louis was the absolute love of his life, and he was the luckiest person on the planet earth. There was no doubt in his mind.

 

He rolled onto his side, facing Louis, and cupped his soft cheek. Brushing his thumb over the smooth skin, an action that he'd done a million times before, he sighed. _Was it possible for his heart to burst from so much love_? 

 

"I'm going to take you somewhere," He promised, whispering. "Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do. I'll take you on a cruise to Alaska. I know you've always wanted to go. We'll go, baby. Just say the word. I'll take you wherever."

 

-

 

The next morning, Louis _did_ sleep in. Harry did too, but that was because Louis' mum had woken up with the babies and took charge for the morning. It was nice, not waking up to screaming and pounding on his door. Instead, he got to wake up with Harry, next to Harry. They got to lay in bed together and talk quietly, face to face. They even got a little morning sex in, which was always nice. 

 

They were able to take a shower, curled up underneath the spray together. Harry had promised Louis that they would take a bath later that night, complete with the works - candles, rose petals, and champagne.

 

After the shower, they dried each other off and dressed as slowly as possible, wanting to stretch their time together before they had to join the circus that was their family.

 

"Wear my shirt," Harry suggested, watching as Louis searched through his closet, wondering what to wear. "The soft one."

 

Louis looked back at him. "Your Uni one?" He asked, reaching for the soft, gray shirt. It was a shirt he'd worn many times, and, come to think of it, he may have had it on when his water broke with Bean.

 

"That's the one." Harry confirmed, pulling a pair of sweatpants on. It was going to be a lazy day around the Styles house today.

 

Louis tugged the shirt on and smoothed it out over his leggings. When he was dressed, he slid a pair of socks on and addressed Harry, who was sitting on the edge of their bed, scrolling through his phone.

 

"Ready to join the circus?" He asked, reaching for Harry.

 

Clicking his phone shut, Harry slid it into his pocket and stood, slipping his hand in with Louis'. "As ready as I'll ever be."

 

They left their quiet bedroom and entered the chaotic world outside of it. As they walked down the hallway, pausing at the top of the stairs, they could hear the squeals and screeching of their children. Every step they took poked at the little blissful bubble they had created in their bedroom.

 

As they reached the bottom step, the doorbell rang. Louis looked to Harry.

 

"You get that. I'm going to go see if my mum needs help."

 

"I'm sure she does." Harry said, watching him go. When Louis was out of sight, he walked over to the door and opened it. He had to blink several times when he saw who was behind it. He was in complete and utter disbelief. "Gemma?" 

 

 

 


	61. Chapter 61

Louis sat down the tray of tea and biscuits and lowered himself quietly onto the sofa, right next to Harry, who remained stiff as a board. He smoothed his hands down his (Harry's) shirt and cleared his throat, crossing his legs. He tapped his fingers against his knee and looked at his spouse, unsure of what to do next. The silence in the room was deafening, and he wanted to leave the room and play with his children. 

 

Deciding he had to do something to break the tension, Louis stood and began pouring the tea. He handed a cup to Gemma and she flashed him a brief, uncomfortable smile. If only she knew how uncomfortable it could get. 

 

"So," Louis sat and held a cup towards Harry. He let it hang in the air, smiling nervously at Harry, before pulling it towards himself and taking a sip. So Harry was unresponsive. Great. "Gemma. Last I heard, you lived in the States." 

 

"I do." She nodded, holding her cup between her hands. 

 

"Well," He had no idea what to say to her. "What brings you to London?" 

 

She gave him a look. "My family is in London." Her tone of voice was almost snarky, and Harry slid his hand onto Louis' thigh and squeezed. Gemma tracked the movement with her eyes, but said nothing else. 

 

"I know," Louis answered tentatively. He cast a sideways glance at Harry, who was staring sharply at his sister. "I just meant..." He trailed off, not knowing what he meant. He was hoping Harry would step in at any moment. 

 

"I was actually looking at schools here." She mentioned, leaning back against the chair she was sitting in. "The girls need a more challenging course and they're just not getting it in our city." 

 

"There are some pretty good schools over there, I've read." Louis told her. She probably already knew that, but he was starting to get uncomfortable. "But you're the best judge of what your children need. What schools were you looking at?" 

 

She listed two schools in Ireland and one right in London, all three very exclusive private schools. The one she listed in London almost made Louis scoff. 

 

"Harry and I have been on the waiting list for Brighton for almost five years." He told her. "I don't know if that's something you should know. Unless you put them on the list and moved from the States if they get accepted." 

 

"Ah, yes." She nodded, glancing towards the hallway. "Your children. Uh...what are their names?" 

 

Finally, a conversation that wouldn't leave Louis bored and uncomfortable. "Well, there's Bean - his real name is Harry Edward, after, well, Harry - he's eleven. Lucas is almost ten, the twins are - " 

 

"I thought you only had two?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry. As if he would say anything to her. "I've only read and heard about two." 

 

"We actually have eight." He told her, ignoring the look of shock on her face. "Seven, naturally, and one is our goddaughter. But we try very hard to keep them out of the press, and I'd say we're doing a fantastic job." He laughed quietly and squeezed Harry's hand. Harry squeezed back, so that Louis would know he's not comatose. 

 

Gemma glanced to Harry, then back to Louis. Her eyes swept his figure and he caught the moment. He got ready for a quip about his size, but instead she gave him a warm smile. 

 

"You look wonderful for having seven kids." She complimented. "I never thought my brother would ever have children. He'd always talked about having his own with such...hatred, if you will." 

 

Louis grimaced when Harry squeezed his hand harder. "Yes, well. I managed to squeeze seven out of him, and he loves them all dearly." 

 

"What made you change your mind?" This time, Gemma looked directly at Harry and asked her question. The face she was making was much like the one Louis had seen Harry make thousands of times. It was a no-nonsense, no games, answer my question face. 

 

But Harry kept quiet, and kept his gaze steely. 

 

"I got pregnant a month after we got matched," Louis blurted, aching for some type of relief from the tense mess around him. "He'd said time and time again to me that he didn't want kids. I mean, he said it a  _lot_ during the first month, but he fell in love with Bean as soon as he found out about him." 

 

"That's lovely." Gemma said. 

 

"So, you said you were looking at schools here in London. Did you bring your girls? I'd love to meet them." Louis smiled. "Ollie and Theo would love to know that they have twin cousins. How old are they?" 

 

"They're eight." Gemma answered. "And they're at the hotel with my husband." 

 

"Well, we'd love to have you all over for dinner. Do you have plans tonight?" Louis asked, ignoring Harry's tight grip on his thigh again. He knew he would pay for ignoring Harry later, but he really wanted to get past all of the awkwardness and get to know Gemma and her family. 

 

Gemma hesitated, noticing Harry's tight grip and clenched jaw. She glanced from him to Louis. "We were actually going to..." She trailed off, finally smiling tightly. "We'd love to come over tonight. That's if you'll have us." 

 

"Of course we will." He reached into his pocket and produced his phone. "Here, put your number in it. I'll call you when we iron out the details." 

 

She took his phone and entered her number. As she handed it back to Louis, she looked to Harry. She looked unsure and a bit sad that her brother was being cold, but Louis knew that Harry would end up breaking and speak to her later. 

 

Standing, Louis pocketed his phone. "It was lovely meeting you," He hugged her when she stood. He walked her to the door, being polite as ever. And, he wanted to put some distance between himself and Harry, who was practically steaming. 

 

As soon as he closed the front door, he braced himself for Harry's attack. Turning around, he watched with steady eyes as Harry stood from the couch, and when Harry narrowed in on him, he took off down the hall, trying to act as casual as possible. 

 

"Louis." Harry said, right behind him.  _Damn Harry and his long legs._ The tone was warning, but he ignored it. "Louis!" 

 

He squeaked when Harry grabbed his elbow and spun him around. He smiled sweetly up at Harry and got on his tiptoes, pressing a kiss to Harry's mouth. Batting his eyelashes as he pulled away, he rubbed his hands down Harry's strong arms. 

 

"Yes, dear?" He asked sweetly. 

 

Harry glared down at him, fuming. His nostrils were flaring, and any other time, Louis would giggle, but he didn't feel it was appropriate in the current moment. 

 

"Louis." He said again, tone sharp and cold. "What the hell was that?" 

 

Louis shrugged and wormed his way out of Harry's grasp. He slid into the kitchen, Harry hot on his heels. "I don't know what you're talking about." He answered. He opened the cabinets and dug through them, trying to decide on what to make for their dinner. 

 

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." Harry snapped. "What was that in there?" 

 

"Oh! When I met your sister? She's nice, Harry. Looks a lot like you, too." Louis complimented. 

 

"She's not coming over here tonight." 

 

Louis looked back at Harry over his shoulder. "I invited her. I want to meet her daughters. I think if they moved to London, the twins would have someone to play with. They're always talking about how they want twin friends. And they're cousins! How great is that?" 

 

Harry slammed a cabinet door shut, making him jump. "They are  _not_ coming over." Harry ordered. "I don't care if they're cousins - " 

 

"She's your sister." 

 

"I don't care if she's my sister, they are not coming over. That's final." Harry spat. 

 

"Why are you so angry?" Louis crossed his arms. "She came over, she extended an olive branch, I guess." 

 

"I haven't seen or spoken to my sister in fifteen years." Harry said through clenched teeth. "And I'm not interested in speaking to her now." 

 

"Why not?" Louis asked. "She's your sister." 

 

"She's also the only one I went to when my father was...and she left." Harry's eyes flashed, and Louis suspected that he was replaying all of the horrible things that happened during his childhood. "She didn't care, and now that she's back, I have the chance to turn her away." 

 

"Harry..." Louis sighed, stepping forward. He slid his hands around Harry's middle, squeezing gently around his ribs. "Don't do that. Don't be this way. I don't like it when you act like this. It's your sister, and she wants to make amends, I guess." 

 

"Or she has ulterior motives." 

 

"Stop." Louis dropped his forehead to rest against Harry's chest. "I invited her and her family over, and I'm hoping we can have a civil dinner together. If you don't think you can...then you can stay upstairs." 

 

He tilted his head back, resting his chin against Harry's clavicle. Blinking slowly, he saw when Harry's harsh demeanor dissolved. He knew he'd work Harry into giving in. At least he  _hoped_ Harry would give in. 

 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Harry glared down at him. "You always do this." He said. "You always do this and I fucking hate it. You steamroll others opinions and feelings." 

 

Louis' mouth dropped open. He certainly wasn't expecting that. "I don't - " 

 

"You do! Have you ever stopped to think of  _why_ I don't want to see her?" Harry asked, moving himself away from Louis. He looked angry. "I have reasons, and you need to respect them." 

 

"I do - " 

 

"How would you like it if I brought Olly back and had him nanny our kids again?" Harry asked. 

 

Louis stepped back, physically taken by the low-blow. "How dare you - " 

 

"It's no different that what you do all the time."

 

"It's  _very_ different and you know it!" Louis shouted, thankful that the kids had taken to playing outside. "That has nothing to do with this. Why did you bring that up? Do you still think about it?" 

 

"Sometimes, Louis, I need you to be on my side. I need you to rally for me, one hundred percent, no questions asked." Harry snapped. "You just need to step back and remind yourself that there are two people in this relationship." 

 

With that, Harry shoved past Louis, enough to send him back a step or two. Louis stared at Harry's retreating figure with his mouth open wide.  _What had just happened_? He wanted to run after Harry and talk some more, but with the way they were both feeling, it would be nothing but a fight. 

 

He turned and faced his refrigerator, blowing out a deep breath. He'd gather his wits, and let Harry do the same, and then he'd go talk to him. 

 

-

 

Three hours later, when he'd decided what to make for their dinner that night, and cleaned up the majority of the house, he decided it was a good time to talk to Harry. They'd been sleeping in the guest room downstairs, because even though Harry could walk up the stairs, Louis didn't want him to. 

 

He knocked once on the bedroom door before entering. Harry was laying on his side, scrolling through his phone. He didn't look up when Louis entered, which was fine. It gave Louis the courage to crawl onto the bed and curl up right next to him. 

 

Playing with the frayed edge of Harry's shirt, he asked, "Are you still mad?" 

 

"Yes." Was Harry's cold response. 

 

"I'm sorry. I was so excited to get to know your sister that I didn't think to ask you how you felt about it. I know it must have been a surprise to see her at our door, especially after so many years." He glanced up at Harry, who was still scrolling through his phone. He wanted to pull it out of Harry's hands, but that would put him in a bigger doghouse than he was already in. 

 

"I can call her and cancel it," He offered. "And we can talk, if you want to tell me why you don't want to see her. It's up to you. Your decision, and I fully support it. Also, I love you." 

 

Harry sighed heavily. He could never not reply to Louis when he said  _I love you_. "I love you too. Very much. But I don't love it when you get this way." 

 

"I know, I'm sorry." Louis, feeling a burst of courage, wrapped a hand around Harry's wrist and lowered the phone down. When they were face to face, he smiled shyly. "Do you forgive me?" 

 

Harry's green eyes searched his, and for the longest moment, Louis thought that he would say no. But he didn't. "Of course. And I'll tell you about my sister." 

 

Louis wanted to squeal with excitement, but he held it in and instead cuddled up closer to Harry. When he felt Harry's big arm wrap around his waist, he closed his eyes, ready for story time. He just hoped that it wasn't another situation like Harry's father. He couldn't stomach it if Harry had been abused by two separate people in his lifetime. 

 

 

 


	62. Chapter 62

Louis opened the oven door and checked on the food he was preparing. He tested the chicken to make sure it was cooking right and assessed the amount of herbs he'd lathered it with. Call him crazy, but he had already impressed Anne, and though he'd just very recently met Gemma, he wanted to impress her as well. It made no sense to Harry, who had promised that they were pretty much a done deal. Nothing could change it. 

 

"Harry," He called after closing the oven door. He turned, shouting, "Harry!" 

 

"Whoa," Harry blinked. He had walked in, unbeknownst to Louis, and was standing right behind him. "What?" 

 

"I need you to bathe the children and confiscate anything sticky, wet, messy, stinky, or - " 

 

"So...everything." Harry concluded, quirking a brow. It was dangerous territory, trying to crack jokes when Louis looked so frazzled, but he did anyway. And the glare he got from Louis only lasted a few seconds. 

 

"Pretty much." Louis nodded. "And I need you to watch this while I pull out our wedding china from the cabinet in the garage." 

 

"We're eating off of our wedding china? We said we wouldn't do that until our ten year anniversary." Harry crossed his arms. 

 

"I don't have any other good china!" Louis practically squealed. The pressure of impressing Harrys' estranged sister was getting to him. He knew that they'd promised not to eat off of it until their ten year anniversary, but he was desperate, and the china was beautiful. 

 

Harry donned a cocky half-smile and waltzed over to him. "Well, baby," He wrapped Louis up in a tight embrace, and Louis was finally able to relax. "I'll just have to fix that, won't I?" 

 

Louis allowed himself a few good moments in Harry's warm, tight, hold, inhaling the smell of him, for a few moments. His head was able to clear and he relaxed again. He loved how Harry had that affect on him. 

 

"Yes," He tilted his head back and blinked slowly. "And after this, I plan to spend your money buying myself sets of china. But for now, I need you to help me." He tried not to sound whiny and pitiful, but he couldn't help it. 

 

"I promise." Harry pulled back and crossed his heart. "Do you need any help with the china? It's heavy, baby." 

 

"Mmm, no." Louis hummed, stepping back. He was suddenly paranoid about the chicken again, and he grabbed the meat thermometer. "You've just had back surgery, remember? You  _cried_." 

 

Harry raised a brow. "We agreed that we wouldn't talk about that." 

 

Placing the meat thermometer in the sink, he grinned at Harry. "I loved it. I thought it was precious." 

 

"Crying like a baby is precious?" Harry scoffed. "I don't think so. It's embarrassing." 

 

"It's not!" Louis protested. "It's sweet. You're allowed to cry, Harry, and you were in pain and the medicine was making you cranky and tired but you couldn't sleep. You wanted me to hold your hand, and I played with your hair until you fell asleep. I thought I'd have to cut my hand off when I was done." 

 

"Why?" He was almost afraid to ask. There was no doubt that Louis would turn it into a mushy, gooey story. 

 

"Because it took you  _hours_ to fall asleep. You just cried and cried." Louis scrunched his nose and tilted his head up to look at Harry. "I really laid into the nurses when you finally fell asleep."

 

Harry gave him an amused smile. "Why? They were nice."

 

Louis scowled. "There was no reason for you to have waited that long for relief. You laid in that bed for hours in pain. It was ridiculous." 

 

"You are my little warrior," Harry cupped Louis' soft cheek. "My little cheerleader." 

 

"Someone's got to do it." He rolled his eyes, but Harry's words put a smile on his face. "I'm in your corner, love. Always have been and always will be." 

 

-

 

Louis was placing the finishing touches on the dining room table, lighting the long candles, when there was a knock on the door. He stepped back, assessed the pure white table cloth, the immaculate dishes they would be eating on, and the silver candlestick holders holding the long-stemmed candles. It was picture perfect. He just hoped it was enough to impress Gemma. 

 

"I'll answer it!" He heard Bean call, and he entered the foyer just as Bean was opening the door. It was Gemma, and a handsome man, and two beautiful twin girls. They were all dressed up. 

 

"Hi," Louis greeted them all. The man and girls answered, but Gemma was staring at Bean. He put his hands on Bean's shoulder. "This is our oldest, Harry." 

 

Bean stuck his hand out. "It's nice to meet you." 

 

"Love, this is your aunt Gemma." He told his son. "And these are your cousins..." He glanced to Gemma's husband, seeing as how Gemma was still staring at Bean. 

 

"Esme and Eden." He offered. "And I'm Matthew." 

 

"It's nice to meet you all." With Bean, he stepped aside. "Please, come in. Eden, Esme, how about you follow Bean here, and you can meet your other cousins?" 

 

Esme and Eden nodded their curly blond ringlets and followed Bean out of the foyer. When they were gone, Louis offered both Matthew and Gemma a smile. Gemma had finally snapped out of her trance and gave him an apologetic laugh. 

 

"I'm sorry. He just looks so much like Harry..." She trailed off. "Harry was that age when I saw him last, so it's a bit of a shock to my system." 

 

"All of our babies look like Harry." Louis offered with a chuckle. "So you may be shocked when seeing them all. Can I offer you a drink? I think - " 

 

Harry chose that moment to step into the foyer, wearing a [black blouse](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/48/b3/31/48b3313f91c8bd2e807378f558dbc1e1.jpg), the first few buttons undone, and black jeans. The worn boots on his feet were a staple in any fancy outfit he wore. 

 

With Harry's presence, a cloud of silence enveloped the room. He was standing next to Louis, tall and serious, just staring at Gemma and her husband. He said nothing, did nothing, to ease the tension in the room. Again, it was left to Louis to dissolve it and continue the conversation. 

 

"Uh," He wracked his brain, trying to remember what he was saying before Harry came in. "As I was saying, I think Harry was about to open a bottle of champagne. Would you all like some?" 

 

Gemma opened her mouth to answer, but Harry beat her to it. 

 

"We're out." He said monotonously. The hand he had wrapped around Louis' waist squeezed. 

 

"We're not." Louis assured Gemma. He looked up at Harry. "We're not." 

 

Gemma looked from Harry to Louis, a tense and unsure smile on her face. "Uh, thanks, but we've got the girls. Ginger ale would be nice if you have it." 

 

"Sure!" Louis smiled. "You two can go and meet the other kids, or you can stay in here and...the kids are outside. Harry, come and help me?" 

 

Harry followed Louis, knowing by the sound of his voice that he was in trouble. In the kitchen, Louis pulled a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne out of the fridge. He held it up to Harry with a rude look on his face, and then put them back. He grabbed the ginger ale and closed the door. 

 

"You're being rude." He said, grabbing the ice bucket from the counter. If he couldn't use it for champagne, he'd fill it with ice anyway and keep it in the dining room, should someone need a refill of both ice and ginger ale. 

 

"Am not." Harry crossed his arms. 

 

"You are." Louis glared. "This is supposed to be a civil dinner. I want to get to know your sister." 

 

"I thought I told you everything you need to know about her." Harry scoffed. "She's a liar and she leaves when things get tough. She leaves people behind." 

 

"When she saw Bean, she couldn't stop staring at him." Louis found himself saying. He didn't know if it would change things, but it was worth a try. "And when Bean took Eden and Esme to play with the others, she told me that Bean reminded her so much of you. She said that she couldn't stop staring because Bean is the exact age that she saw you last. I guess she thought she was staring at a ghost of you." 

 

Harry was quiet. So quiet, that if Louis wasn't looking at him, he would have thought he'd fled the room. His green eyes were playing a movie of emotions, and Louis couldn't figure any of them out. 

 

"Anyway, please,  _please_ be nice. You don't have to say a word. You can just sit by me and we'll hold hands under the table or something. Just don't be rude." Louis begged. "Now, grab the ice bucket and the ginger ale. I'm going to start putting the food on the table." 

 

He turned and began grabbing what he could carry, walking to the dining room to place them on the dining room table. Matthew was nowhere to be found, he must have gone off with Bean and the girls, but Gemma was standing awkwardly in the dining room. 

 

"Can I help?" She offered. "That's why we came early." 

 

Louis paused, trying not to make his glance to the kitchen obvious. He didn't want to send Gemma in there and put Harry in an uncomfortable position. "Actually yes. Hold on just a second." He held up a finger to her and turned to go back into the kitchen. He bumped into Harry, who was closing the freezer door. He'd just filled the ice bucket up. 

 

"What are you - " Harry looked at him with a confused expression. He was clutching the ginger ale and ice bucket to his chest. 

 

"I need these." Louis explained, grabbing them both away from him. "Gemma offered to help and I have nothing for her to do. So you go watch the kids." With that, he turned and headed back into the dining room, giving Gemma a big smile. 

 

"Everything okay?" She asked. 

 

"Peachy. Here, if you don't mind filling the glasses up?" He held out the items, and she took them with a shake of her head. 

 

"Not a problem. I'm happy to help." She began putting ice cubes in the crystal glasses and pouring the fizzy ginger ale. They kept to themselves as they worked. 

 

"So, Harry is excited." Louis said awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say to her. 

 

The look Gemma gave him was a signature Harry-look. Harry gave it to him all the time when he didn't believe a word that came out of Louis' mouth. And now Gemma was giving it to him. "He's not." She said.

 

"He's - " What was he going to say? Harry wasn't excited. He would rather move houses again than face Gemma. With a sigh, he nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I wish it wasn't so awkward." 

 

"Harry has every right to be unhappy to see me. I mean, we haven't seen each other in fifteen years." Gemma told him. "And why would he want to? Not after what happened." 

 

"He told me." Louis told her. She deserved to know that he knew. "I already like you, Gemma, and your husband, and your girls. And I want to get to know you more, and have you all visit, but I have to be on Harry's side. I  _am_ on Harry's side." 

 

"I understand. I'm glad you're giving me a chance, but I don't blame you if you never want to see us again. What I did was unforgivable." She looked heartbroken, and Louis couldn't stand it. It was his sister-in-law, and though he'd only known her for a few hours, he already liked her. 

 

"I think you and Harry need to sit down and talk." He suggested. 

 

"He won't want to do that." Gemma shook her head. 

 

"Maybe if you told him your side." Louis was truly hoping that they would resolve all of this. "Explain to him why you did what you did. He never got to hear that." 

 

The look Gemma gave him was crushing. "He tried telling me," She told him. "I was about to leave for America, to go visit some friends that went to university there. I was all packed up and ready to go, when Harry came into my room. He was only ten, and he looked positively crushed. I was hurrying around, frazzled out of my mind. The cab was honking outside and I couldn't find my passport, and Harry was talking to me, but I wouldn't listen."

 

She wiped her eyes before the tears could fall, but they still glistened as she spoke. "He told me that our dad had been so mean to him, and he begged to go to America with him. I barely looked at him when I told him that I didn't have time for him and his problems, as I was currently busy with my own. I told him to leave me alone. But I caught a glimpse of him as I left. He was wearing jeans and a green shirt, and his hair was just starting to have springy curls, and his eyes were  _so_ bright." 

 

She looked at Louis. "That's why I stared so long at Harry Jr." She explained quietly. "He's the spitting image of Harry on the day I left. The day I last saw my brother. I couldn't believe my eyes. I remembered so vividly that day when I looked at Harry Jr. I hope I didn't scare him." 

 

"No, you didn't." Louis promised. 

 

"But," She continued. "I understand if Harry doesn't want to talk to me. I ignored him when he needed me the most. He came to me for protection, and I just left him. I tried calling later, but he didn't want to talk to me. He hasn't wanted to talk to me since. No one would explain anything to me about what he meant. Was it bad?" 

 

Louis nodded, and when Gemma looked broken, he explained further. "Not in the way you think. Des didn't hit Harry. He was more emotionally and mentally abusive. Told Harry he'd never be good enough, that he'd never amount to anything, that sort of thing." 

 

"God." Gemma put her hand on her chest. "And now? Do they have a relationship?" 

 

"Um, they did, yeah. They made amends before...Des died, actually. A few years back." Louis informed her. "He actually reached out to Harry, explained some things. Why he was the way he was to Harry." 

 

"I'm glad Harry got closure." Gemma said. 

 

After that, they didn't do much talking. Louis called for dinner, and everyone came running in, with clean hands and faces. They were all dressed in appropriate clothing, and seated themselves at the dining room table. Matt came in with the girls, who wanted to sit next to Ollie and Theo. Louis was pleased to see them getting along. 

 

Harry came in when everyone was seated, and took his place at the head of the table. Louis kept eyeing him as he dished out food for the kids. Harry just sat there, only moving when it was his turn to get the food. 

 

"Thank you, baby." He murmured, quietly enough to where only Louis could hear it, but out of the corner of Louis' eye, he saw Gemma turn and look at them. 

 

"You're welcome." Louis murmured back, leaning down to kiss his forehead. He moved on to serve two more of his children before he got to Gemma and Matt, who took the platter from him. They could serve themselves.

 

"Louis, this looks absolutely fantastic." Matt complimented, looking down at his elaborate meal. He put the platter in the center of the table. 

 

"Thank you, Matt." Louis dished himself some food and sat down, eager to eat. They all ate, an awkward silence amongst the adults. He felt weird; listening to the kids talk between themselves. He glanced up and looked at Harry, who was looking at him. He sent Harry a look, silently asking him to say something. He grew angry when he realized that he would have to be the one to carry a conversation.

 

"So, Matt." He ignored Harry, turning to face Gemma and her husband. "What is it that you do?" 

 

Matt swallowed, and then answered. "I'm a pharmacist." 

 

Louis loved the way Gemma looked at him with such pride. 

 

"I've heard that's a great job to have." Louis complimented. "I'm curious to know, though, do you have to know every single prescription out there?" 

 

Matt laughed and shook his head. He began explaining his job and what all it entailed. It was really fascinating to hear, and sounded a lot less complicated than Louis would have thought. And Matt seemed passionate about it, which was refreshing to hear. 

 

Finishing up, Matt turned to Harry. "What is it that you do, Harry?" He asked politely. 

 

Harry turned his head slowly and spared Matt a quick glance. When he turned his head back to face Louis, Louis grew angry. He tried to speak to Harry with his eyes, but it was pointless. Harry was being pretentious and rude, and he was so disappointed. He never knew Harry could act that way. 

 

"Harry and his friend Liam own Styles and Payne Global." Louis explained, trying to keep the anger he had for Harry in check. He didn't want to cause a scene at dinner. He began explaining Harry and Liam's business ventures, where they worked, and how many branches they had around the globe. 

 

Matt looked intrigued, and Gemma looked surprised and proud. 

 

"That's really amazing." Matt praised. "I've thought about starting my own business, but I think I focused a bit too much on my pharmacy degree." 

 

"Matt was a double major at Columbia University," Gemma explained with a beaming smile. "Business was his second major." 

 

"That's really something. Congratulations. I could barely focus on getting my single degree in education, let alone two. And I had kids around to look after." Louis laughed. 

 

Gemma nodded. She understood. "I'm glad that I waited to have these two, or else I might not have any education at all. Kids really are something." 

 

"Aren't they? Took me forever to get my degree." Louis glanced fondly at his children, who were getting along greatly with their cousins. 

 

At the end of the table, Harry scooted his chair back and stood, placing his napkin on his full plate. He stalked off towards the kitchen, and Louis looked at his retreating back. 

 

"Excuse me," He murmured, flashing Gemma and Matt an apologetic smile. He went into the kitchen and saw Harry pacing, his fists clenched. "Are you okay? What was that all about?" 

 

Harry swiveled around and pointed at him. "I can't sit in there and listen to you bring yourself down." 

 

Louis gaped at him. "What are you talking about?" He asked. 

 

"It didn't take you forever to get your degree," Harry snapped, raking a hand through his hair. "It took you one semester longer, and you graduated at the top of your class. No one else could have done that and raised babies. You're a goddamn genius, Louis." 

 

Louis was confused. Harry was angry but his words weren't. "Okay..." He nodded slowly. "Thank you. Are you ready to go back in there and be civil? You're being quite rude." 

 

Harry shook his head. 

 

Louis sighed. He gave up. There was no use in pushing Harry. "Fine. You're not eating and you're not contributing to the conversation. You just sit there and glare. I won't make you go back in there because clearly you're uncomfortable. Go upstairs, I'll bring you something to eat later." 

 

"No," Gemma said from the doorway. 

 

Both Louis and Harry turned to face her. She looked nervous but determined. 

 

"Harry," She faced him. "We need to talk." 

 


	63. Chapter 63

Gemma crossed her legs and stared at Harry through the awkward silence. They had been directed, by Louis, upstairs to talk in Harry's office. While she had expected beautiful and expensive decor, she was pleased to see family portraits and drawings done by his children gracing the walls. She admired the awkwardly painted walls, with little scenes drawn only by kids. She had assumed that they let their kids go nuts with paint.

 

She'd never expected Harry to settle down and have eight kids. She never even expected him to marry, really. She was pleased with Louis, though. He was a lovely person and though she didn't know him well enough, she thought he was perfect for Harry. He didn't put up with Harry's shit. 

 

But while she had admired the room, she admired Harry more. Gone was his baby face, replaced with one of maturity and wisdom. His hair wasn't in springy curls anymore, and instead, the curls were longer and tucked behind his ears. The baby fat had dissolved into hard muscle and and his body had stretched into over six feet. She briefly thought of how small Louis looked standing next to Harry. 

 

He wasn't the same little boy, crying to her. He wasn't asking her for help anymore, or advice. He wasn't looking up to her anymore. He wasn't her little brother anymore, and it broke her heart. The man in front of her looked bored, and pissed off, and seething with rage. She wondered briefly if he often made that face, and she was going to ask Louis about it.

 

"Harry," She began, voice already cracking. She was sure that she would be tough, but it was easier said than done. They had a lot to talk about. "I need to explain - "

 

"You do." He cut her off, voice deep and cold. It was the first time she'd heard it in years. It was so different than when she'd last heard it. It was almost threatening, and if they weren't siblings, she might have been scared by it.

 

"I do." She agreed, suddenly feeling so nervous. "I am so sorry, Harry. For doing what I did, and for saying what I said. I had no idea what was happening. Mom wouldn't tell me anything, and by the time I'd figured out, you were older, and Des wasn't apart of the picture anymore."

 

"Mum divorced him when I was twelve." He told her, tone harsh. 

 

Gemma opened and closed her mouth several times. How did she justify the fact that she knew that? Harry wouldn't understand and she didn't expect him to. "I- I know." She croaked out. "But I was so much older than you, Harry. I had my own life, I wasn't around." 

 

Harry stared at her coldly and said nothing. His piercing gaze made her shift in her seat. 

 

"When I found out..." She shook her head, as if to remove all the thoughts of it from her body. "Harry, I called you. Several times." 

 

"I know. I had my number changed because of it." He told her. His expression was cold. 

 

It stung, she wasn't going to lie. "I figured." She tried to keep her voice level. "I should have been there for you, but you have to realize, I was thousands of miles away. I couldn't just drop everything and come to you, no matter how much I wanted to." 

 

"You're contradicting yourself." Harry's stoic face didn't change. "If you really wanted to be there for me, nothing would have stopped you. You didn't want to come because I was an inconvenience. You had your own life in the states, and you didn't want to bother with your poor, abused brother." The more he talked, the louder and meaner his voice got. 

 

"That's not true!" Gemma raised her voice. "I love you, Harry! But what would I have done? Come to London and searched high and low for you? I had no idea where you were, Des was gone, and mom wasn't speaking to me!" 

 

"That's bullshit." Harry spat. His eyes flashed with anger. "That's a bullshit excuse and you know it. Nothing would make mum stop talking to either of us. You just wanted to pretend you had no family here." 

 

"You're wrong, Harry. So wrong." Gemma shook her head. She was feeling the same anger now. "Ever since I left,  _every single day_ , I'd wished that you'd find someone to give you what I didn't. Someone who would give you the love I should have and - " 

 

"I did." He interrupted. "I found someone better." 

 

Trying not to look stricken, she swallowed. "Who? Louis? He's very amazing." 

 

"He's more than that." Harry scoffed. "He's the goddamn love of my life. I would die for him, and he would die for me. He's given me a perfect life and I couldn't expect you of all people to understand that. I've gotten this far without your help, what makes you think I want anything to do with you now?"  

 

"Harry," Gemma couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes. She was so overwhelmed. "I'm so  _happy_ for you. I'm so happy that you found Louis, and I'm happy that you're successful, and I'm happy that you have so many beautiful children. You have been on my mind for the past fifteen years. I regret leaving you. I made stupid decisions, and I'll live with them for the rest of my life. You don't have to forgive me, but please, hear me out, and please give me a chance." 

 

"Why should I do that?" Harry clenched his fists underneath his desk. "After  _fifteen_ years? It never once occurred to you to visit sooner? To try to make amends sooner? I'm happy now. I've left my past in the past. I have children to look after, I have a beautiful spouse to look after. I have my own life, and I haven't needed you or wanted you in it in years." 

 

Gemma shook her head. "You don't mean that." 

 

"I do." Harry disagreed. "Tell me, does mum know you're here? I'm assuming you've at least talked to her in the past fifteen years." 

 

Gemma tightened her mouth into a thin line. She hadn't spoken to their mom either, thinking that Anne would be so angry with her for leaving and not saying goodbye. Her mum didn't know about Eden and Esme. 

 

Harry shoved his chair back from the desk and stood. "Talk to mum." He ordered before leaving. He let the office door swing shut behind him, leaving Gemma alone.

 

-

 

"And this," Louis held out Atty, who kicked his dangling feet. "Is Atty. Or Atticus. He's our final baby. Cute, huh?" 

 

Matt nodded and glanced at the row of children in front of him. After Gemma and Harry excused themselves upstairs, he and Louis were left alone to finish up dinner and clean up. After that, he got the grand tour of the Styles house, minus the upstairs. After  _that_ , he got to meet the Styles kids, again. 

 

"Very cute. Eight kids," He commented. "Must be a lot of love in this house." 

 

Louis preened. "Oh, there is." He shooed his kids off, watching them run outside, Esme and Eden in tow. "Have you and Gemma thought about expanding your family again?" 

 

Matt glanced around. "Uh, no." He whispered. "Gemma is actually pregnant right now, so..." 

 

"Oh, congratulations!" Louis pulled Matt in for a half-hug, which was hard, because he was still holding Atty and Matt was six feet tall. "How far along is she?" 

 

"We had a checkup before we came here," Matt replied. "They said fourteen weeks." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows. "Impressive, she isn't showing at all! When I was fourteen weeks, I looked ready to pop. But then again, Gemma is a bit taller than me. Maybe it's the way we carry." 

 

"It very well could be." Matt nodded. He glanced around the room they were in. "You have a lovely home. I don't know if I said that or not." 

 

"Oh, thank you!" Louis grinned. He tried his hardest to make their home warm and inviting, with beautiful decor, while keeping it practical for children. He was glad to know that it was. "We've had it remodeled in the past few years. We needed to accommodate eight children and two adults. And we always have guests.

 

Mat turned and sat down on an overstuffed armchair. "I don't know how far we've planned things, but I think we're thinking of moving here soon. I think I'd like a house like this. It's very warm." 

 

Louis widened his eyes in surprise and sat down on the sofa. "Really? That's a pretty far move." 

 

"Gemma really wants to be closer to her family now." Matt informed him. "She feels incredibly guilty about everything. I think it would do her good. She had such a hard time with the girls, being pregnant, and then the first few years were tough. My mom helped out a lot, but Gemma needed her own mom. I think she wants this pregnancy to be different." 

 

"I understand." Louis nodded, but he couldn't imagine raising his kids without his own mum. She was his rock. "The less stressful the pregnancy, the better." 

 

"Right. She was so nervous coming here. She'd been wanting to talk to Harry for years. And, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm assuming Harry can be a bit stubborn." Matt seemed as if he didn't want to overstep, but Louis admired his honesty. He was blunt without being rude. 

 

Louis laughed. "No, you're definitely right. Harry is the most stubborn man alive. Is it safe to assume that Gemma has the same stubborn streak?" 

 

Matt nodded earnestly. "I'm only agreeing with you because she's not here." He laughed. "But yes. And I want to support her no matter what, but I can't help her with this. I can't make Harry speak to her.  _I_ can't even speak to Harry." 

 

"He's intimidating," Louis admitted. "And I'm sorry if he made you uncomfortable at dinner. But he's really amazing when you get to know him. I promise." 

 

"It really seems like it." Matt said, surprising Louis. "I can tell he's very protective, and I understand that. And considering the situation..." 

 

Louis nodded. "Yeah. Thank you for not judging him on sight." Matt had no idea how much of a relief it was. He briefly wondered what he and Gemma were up to, and if he should go and check on them, when Harry entered the den. The air shifted suddenly, and Matt stood nervously. 

 

"Louis," Harry's teeth were clenched, and though he only said one word, Louis knew what he wanted to say, and went to Harry's side. He stroked Harry's arm and wrapped his own around Harry's middle. 

 

"Love," He greeted, trying to keep the tension down. "Are you ready for dessert? Why don't you go and get the children?" He pushed Harry towards the French doors to their left, a smile on his face. 

 

Harry left begrudgingly, making sure to close the doors a little harder than necessary to show just how much he wanted to stay in and glare at Matt. When he was out of the room, Louis turned to Matt, ready to apologize. 

 

"Please, don't." Matt stopped him. He had an understanding smile on his face. "It's going to take time for Harry to come to terms with all of this. I don't blame him." 

 

"You're very understanding." Louis complimented. "Are you sure you're not a therapist?" 

 

Chuckling, Matt shook his head. "No, but I've been told often that I should be one." 

 

"Should you maybe go check on Gemma?" Louis looked behind Matt, waiting to see Harry's sister appear, but she hadn't yet. He was curious to see what she was doing, if she was crying, but he'd leave her to her peace. 

 

"Is it okay? I don't want to invade." 

 

"Your wife," Louis replied. 

 

"Yes, but your house." Matt raised his eyebrows. 

 

"It's fine," Louis assured him. "Go find her. See if she's okay. I'll wrangle with the children. Give you two a little ten minute break." 

 

Matt squeezed his arm in a silent thank you and took off in the direction Harry came. Just as he was out of sight, the doors behind Louis opened and his children came running in, all smiles and yells. Esme and Eden were flanking Harry, and they were the last to come in, each holding Harry's hands. It warmed Louis' heart, especially when he saw the large smile on Harry's face. 

 

"These two are excited for dessert." Harry closed the doors behind them and addressed Louis. 

 

"Are you now?" Louis looked down at them, and he couldn't help but grin. Even with their bright blond hair and blue-green eyes, they looked so much like Harry. There was no doubting that the two had Styles blood running through their veins. "Good. Because have we got a lot of it! Go wash up, loves." 

 

They skipped off to the bathrooms, following the trail of noise their cousins were leaving. They were so polite, but fit right in with his and Harry's wild and rambunctious children. 

 

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Louis asked Harry when they were alone in the room. He slid his hands into Harry's and swung them, staring up expectantly at his handsome spouse. 

 

"I mean..." Harry began, exhaling. "No. But yes." 

 

Nodding slowly, Louis replied, "That's a start. We're going to talk about it later, when the kids are asleep." 

 

"I expect nothing less." Harry said solemnly. He knew the drill - something dramatic or drastic happens, he and Louis talk all night about it. 

 

Rolling his eyes, Louis squeezed Harry's hands. "You think you're cute," He sighed. "But you're really not." 

 

"Oh?" Harry had a smirk on his face. Louis loved that little lopsided smirk. "I'm not?" Stepping forward, Harry leaned down until they were nose to nose. He shook his hands free of Louis' and wrapped his arms around Louis' waist, bending so far that his little spouse had to arch his own back. 

 

"You're ridiculous." Louis laughed, making sure to wind his arms around Harry's neck. With the way Harry's face was pressed against the side of his throat, he was at the perfect position to tangle his fingers through the long curly strands of hair. 

 

"While that may be so, I'm still getting laid tonight." As he spoke into Louis' ear, Harry grabbed the full arse that was underneath his hands and squeezed, punctuating his words. 

 

"As if that was even a question," Louis scoffed. Of  _course_ Harry was getting laid later. He made sure to squeeze his arms around Harry tighter, just to let Harry know that he was on his side and that he loved him. 

 

A throat cleared, and they separated just a smidge. Harry kept his arms around Louis, but his face was no longer happy. It was stern and unimpressed, as it was whenever he was faced with Matt or Gemma. 

 

"I don't think we'll stay for dessert." Matt told them. He had his own arm wrapped around Gemma's waist, and her eyes were red, and she was quiet. She looked sorry. 

 

"Oh," Louis made a sad face and looked to the kitchen. From their place in the den, they could hear the laughter of all their children getting along. "I think the girls were so excited." 

 

"We're sorry." Matt apologized. 

 

"Don't be," Louis stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Gemma. "Congratulations, by the way. Matt told me." 

 

"Thank you." She whispered, returning his hug full force. 

 

"I'll be calling you," He promised, pulling away. He kept his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "We can plan some play dates with the kids." 

 

Gemma nodded and wiped her eyes. "They'll enjoy that." She pulled away from Louis and glanced at Harry. She knew that he wasn't going to say goodbye or hug her. It hurt, but she couldn't blame him. 

 

"I'll walk you all to the door." Louis offered, and the threesome took off down the hall, stopping at the dining room to get the girls. Harry watched them all go, and saw the pouts on Esme and Eden's faces.

 

When they were out of sight, he went into the kitchen to grab dessert. His children were getting very impatient. 

 

-

 

" - and Bella and Liv are just  _thrilled_ to have two new girls to play with. Absolutely over the moon." Louis was chattering, pulling the pillows off of their bed and tossing them to the floor. He pulled down the sheets and comforter. "They love their brothers, but Esme and Eden are an extremely close second already." 

 

"I'm glad." Harry said. "They need new people to play with." 

 

Louis paused. "Does this mean you're okay with them coming over to play with the girls?" He asked. "You know, I was thinking that your mum and I could take all the girls to the theater or the museum. I think - " 

 

"Mum doesn't know." Harry interrupted. 

 

Louis looked at him. "Gemma hasn't told her she's in town yet?" 

 

Shaking his head, Harry sat on the edge of the bed. "No, I mean my mum doesn't know about the girls." 

 

Louis blinked. An awkward silence stretched between them, and they just looked at each other. After pursing his lips for a few seconds, Louis finally found the words to speak. "Well..." He drew the word out. "Um. Okay then." 

 

"Yeah," Harry snorted, flopping back on the bed. "That's what I thought." He stared at the ceiling, feeling the bed dip. His view was soon obstructed by Louis' face, upside down to him with a concerned look etched across his face. 

 

"Are you going to tell her?" Louis asked, cocking his head. 

 

"As much as I want to, it would hurt my mum." Harry sighed. Gemma had just caused a shit storm and didn't even know it. "I told Gemma to talk to mum before she came back to try to talk to me. Let's hope she does it." 

 

Louis maneuvered himself around Harry's body and stretched out beside him. He placed one hand on Harry's belly and let the other cushion his head. "I can tell this is bothering you." 

 

"Of course it's bothering me." Harry agreed. "My life was just ruined." 

 

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. You're bothered because you want to forgive your sister, but you're too stubborn." 

 

Harry frowned, still staring at the ceiling. "That's not it at all." He scoffed. 

 

"Yes it is." Louis rubbed his hand around on Harry's stomach. He didn't want to get Harry riled up. He wanted to have a nice conversation. "It's your pride. It's always been your worst quality. And before you get mad, just listen to me. Your sister hurt you, but now all she wants is your forgiveness. You're holding on so tightly to the past when there can be a future." 

 

"Wise." Harry said monotonously. 

 

"You love your sister, and you love your nieces. And Matt is a great guy. Just give Gemma a chance to explain." Louis pleaded. 

 

"I have a question." Harry turned his head. "You congratulated her earlier. Why?" 

 

Chewing his lip, Louis answered carefully. "She's pregnant." 

 

Harry turned his stare back to the ceiling and was quiet. Without emotion, he said, "Good for her. I wish her all the best." 

 

 


	64. Chapter 64

Louis buried his face further in Harry's neck and nibbled at the damp skin there. He was letting out soft, breathy whimpers and rocking his hips back and forth. Harry's hand was steady on his lower back, silently letting him know that he didn't have to do a damn thing. After all, Harry was fucking up into him slowly and sleepily. 

 

They were in the most comfortable position Louis could think of, with Harry propped up on the pillows just enough to have his long arms wrapped around Louis, one hand clasped on Louis' arse cheek and the other on the dip of his spine. His delicious little spouse was draped on top of him, thighs spread warmly around his hips and hands in his curly hair. They were as close as two bodies could get. 

 

Louis had woken up around three, just about the same time that Harry had opened his eyes, waking up himself. Their bodies were so in tune, and it seemed they both needed the same thing, and were slow in their movements to remedy their situation. It was fine, because Harry got to touch and feel Louis' sleep-soft skin, the curves of his body. He got to love on that body as much as he wanted, and tonight was no exception. 

 

"Baby," Harry's mouth was pressed against the shell of Louis' ear, and he could feel the goosebumps rise across his lover's body. "I love you." 

 

Louis let out a shuddering whimper when he felt the head of Harry's cock press against his prostate. His thighs tightened against Harry's hips and pulled his face away from Harry's neck, pressing their lips together messily. 

 

"Love you," He echoed. 

 

"D'you wanna come?" Harry pressed his fingertips against Louis' stretched hole, knowing just how much it drove him wild. 

 

"Do you?" Louis returned the question. Their lips were brushing together with every word they spoke, and it was as intimate as they could hope. 

 

Harry nodded fervently. He moved his hands to tighten them around Louis' hips and fucked up into him. If he timed it right, they could come together. If he pulled Louis' body closer to his, so that Louis' cock was between them, getting the friction that he needed, they could come together. 

 

And in a few seconds, they did. Both of their bodies going taut and rigid, they came, one after the other. Louis came first, because Louis  _always_ came first. Harry made sure of that. He followed a beat later, freezing as he came hotly inside the tight little body of the love of his life. 

 

"Fuck," He mumbled, lazily jerking his hips a few more times. 

 

Louis nuzzled against Harry's face, pressing his nose against Harry's cheek, and whispered, "Stay in me." It was more pleading than anything, and he couldn't say no even if he wanted to. He didn't. 

 

Harry wiped the come off of their stomachs with the shirt he'd thrown off and tossed it aside. Because he was going to stay inside of Louis, they didn't have to clean up that mess. It made it a lot easier to just lay back and close their eyes. Harry found that with Louis still draped over him, his body a welcome and warm weight, it was easier to fall asleep. 

 

Then again, it was always easier to fall asleep with Louis. 

 

-

 

They woke up once more during the night, right around five, to have sleepy sex again. Morning sex was quite possibly Harry's favorite. Their eyes sleepy and unopened, their movements slow and almost fumbling. He felt that their orgasms were so much  _more_ when they took their time. 

 

After they were done, they slept for a few more hours, waking naturally when they heard a bird tapping on the tree outside of their window. They shared a few slow kisses before getting out of bed to shower. While they each enjoyed shower sex, they just held each other and let the hot water cascade over their bodies. Louis knew it was the intimacy Harry needed, especially after what had happened with his sister. 

 

When they were dry from the shower, they dressed and went their separate ways. Harry went to his office to make a call, promising to meet Louis downstairs, and Louis went to start breakfast. He knew the kids would be up soon, eager to start their summer vacation the right way. 

 

Down in the kitchen, Louis yawned into his hand as he stood in front of the open french doors of the refrigerator. They had so much food but he had no idea what to prepare for breakfast, and wondered briefly if he could serve the leftovers from last night. His children wouldn't complain. They certainly ate whatever they could get their hands on. 

 

He was just reaching for the carton of eggs when Harry stepped into the room, followed by Duke. He watched as Harry sat down on a bar stool and Duke sat down next to him. Their dog was a loyal companion. 

 

"What do you think," He asked, holding the carton of eggs in one hand and a bottle of maple syrup in the other. "Pancakes or eggs?" 

 

Harry yawned into his hand and shrugged. He then folded his arms on the counter top and let his head rest on top of them. "Doesn't matter to me." 

 

"You're useless." Louis sighed. "There's no breakfast takeout." 

 

"Sure there is." Harry offered, his voice muffled. "We've got plenty of menus." 

 

It wasn't untrue. They had a kitchen drawer dedicated to takeout menus. Louis would be embarrassed, but they had eight kids. It was a lot to feed eight kids. He put the eggs and syrup back in the refrigerator and wandered over to the takeout drawer. He rifled through it, taking out ones that promised breakfast. 

 

"What do you think, H?" He mumbled, leaning over the counter, propping his head up on his hand. "Bacon and eggs? Waffles? French toast?" 

 

Harry gave another lackluster shrug. "Get it all, I don't care." 

 

Louis glanced up at him. "You really are useless. But I love you anyway." 

 

"Thanks baby." Harry reached his hand out and fumbled it around until he found Louis'. He gave it a squeeze and it went limp again. He appreciated Louis, even though he  _was_ being useless. Louis loved him despite his attitude for the early morning. 

 

After studying each menu for longer than he should have, he tossed them down and picked up Harry's cell phone. Why he charged it in the kitchen, no one will know. But it was handy, especially since Louis' was upstairs. He dialed the number for the bakery that looked the most promising and rattled off his order. Once done, he sat the phone down and walked around to where Harry was slumped over. 

 

"Baby," He poked Harry's side with his pointer finger. Harry squirmed but kept his head down. "Let's go lay down in the den. The bakery said it would take an hour." 

 

Laying down sounded a lot better than sitting slumped over a counter, so Harry picked himself up, wrapped his limbs around Louis' shoulders, and they shuffled into the quiet den. As always, he flopped down onto their couch first, turning to his side, which allowed Louis to curl up in the curve his body made. They fit together like puzzle pieces. 

 

"The food," Harry said suddenly, coming into a moment's consciousness. In his sleepy mind, the food was at the door, or on the stove. Did Louis cook? He had already forgotten. 

 

"Not here yet," Louis assured him tiredly. Why had they gotten up so early? Were they really that crazy? 

 

"Oh." Harry closed his eyes, and immediately drifted off. A few short seconds later, he began snoring quietly in Louis' ear. His breath was hot and it warmed the shell of Louis' ear, but it also lulled Louis into a light sleep. 

 

An hour passed quickly, and Louis woke seconds before the doorbell rang. He untangled himself from Harry's limbs and shuffled to the front door, grabbing Harry's wallet before he opened the  door. 

 

"Morning," The delivery girl greeted. Her smile was too big for it being so early. Louis was immediately suspicious. 

 

"Morning," He greeted back, taking the two heavy bags from her. He gave her the amount of the bill, with a tip. As he went to the kitchen, he wondered if he told her goodbye. He looked at the clock before unpacking the food. It was seven thirty. The kids would be up any second. 

 

He busied himself, opening containers and setting the hot pancakes, waffles, and French toast onto plates. He scooped the eggs, bacon, and sausages onto a serving platter, and put the scones and muffins in a basket and put all the food on the table. He was boiling the water for tea when Archie shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing one eye. His pajama shirt was rucked up, proudly displaying his little toddler tummy. He was missing a sock and one leg of his pants were up around his thigh. Louis wondered if he had a rough night. 

 

"Mummy." Archie whined pitifully. Standing right where he was, he raised his chubby arms in the arm and pouted. Louis was a sucker for that pout, and he scooped up his three year old quickly. 

 

"Good morning baby." He kissed Archie's sleep-warm cheek. "Did you sleep well?" 

 

Archie nodded, tugging at a particularly springy curl atop his own head. "Ollie sleep loud." He told Louis, as he eyed the table of food. His little tummy was starving. 

 

"Does he?" Louis hummed, walking them both over to the table. He sat with Archie on his lap and they began eating, right from the plates and platters. He was too lazy to get up and get them proper dining ware. 

 

"He do." Archie said, stuffing a scone in his mouth. 

 

"Did you happen to wake Daddy up as you came in?" Louis asked, eyeing the bottle of maple syrup he had sat out. He'd need silverware and a plate for pancakes. He stood, placing Archie on the chair, and went to the cabinets. 

 

"Did." Archie confirmed, standing on the chair. He watched Louis putter around as he ate his scone. He wanted to sit with his mummy today. 

 

"Good boy." Louis praised, bring the stack of plates and pile of forks over to the table. He sat them down, grabbed his own, and filled a plate. When he was done, he resumed his place on the chair, and Archie plopped down on his lap once more. 

 

"Him sleepy." Archie giggled, covering his mouth with his breakfast pastry. His green eyes were so sparkly. Louis was so in love with him it hurt. 

 

"He is very sleepy." Louis agreed. "But if we're awake, Daddy has to be awake. Isn't that right?" He said it loud enough for Harry, who was shuffling his way into the kitchen, to hear. Harry looked so tired, with messy hair and sleepy eyes. 

 

"Not right." Harry grumbled, sitting down into the chair next to Louis. He halfheartedly chewed on a piece of bacon. "I had an early morning." 

 

Louis turned to shoot Harry a look. "You weren't complaining," He reminded him, mindful of the toddler in his lap. 

 

Harry threw him a wink and grinned. "Hell no, I wasn't." 

 

"Hell no!" Archie repeated, grabbing a handful of eggs. He shoved them into his mouth and began chewing. 

 

"And my day has begun," Louis sighed, picking up all the eggs that had fallen into his lap. 

 

"I propose we have a lazy day." Harry suggested, putting a few pancakes on his plate. He added some bacon and poured maple syrup across all of it. 

 

"Hm." A lazy day didn't sound too bad to Louis. "We could go to the movies, get takeout, and come home. We can just sit around all day." 

 

They were thinking of how blissful it would be when both Bean and Lucas trudged into the kitchen. Both boys looked exhausted, and they slumped down into chairs. Neither one of them made a move towards the food. 

 

"Looks like we all need it." Harry commented. "Morning, boys." 

 

"Morning," They echoed back. 

 

"Why do you two look so tired?" Louis asked, handing Archie a little piece of sausage. 

 

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know." 

 

"Aren't you boys hungry?" Harry asked. It was unlike his children to not want to eat. He prided himself on having children with healthy appetites. They would grow up to be big and strong. 

 

"Yes," Bean nodded, folding his arms and laying his head on them, much like Harry had done earlier. It was insane to see how similar the two were. "But also sleepy." 

 

"Well, how about you eat, and you can go back to bed for a bit?" Louis suggested. 

 

That got the ball rolling, and both Lucas and Bean stood to fill their plates with a few breakfast items each. They nibbled until their food was gone, and by the time they were leaving, Bella and Olivia were coming in. They were much like their brothers, tired and grumpy. They ate more, though, and Louis sent them off to the den to watch a movie. The twins were last to trudge in, wearing nothing but their underwear. 

 

"Boys," Louis stood, preparing their plates. He wasn't about to let them do it themselves. He'd learned the hard way. "Where are your pajamas?" 

 

"I ate them," Ollie rubbed his tummy and laughed maniacally. Theo followed suit. It was refreshing to see that the cloud of sleepiness that surrounded their house hadn't affected them. 

 

"Of course you did, love." Harry nodded, standing with Archie. He began the cleanup while the twins ate their breakfast happily. At the sink, he stood with Louis, and to his delight, they exchanged a few quick kisses. 

 

"I forgot to tell you," Louis began, loading the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher. "Niall and Liam are coming over later." 

 

"For what?" Harry asked, nibbling on a waffle. It was a stray from one of the kid's plates. 

 

Louis shrugged. "I assume to visit. I thought I'd cook dinner. You know, his due date is coming up in a few weeks." 

 

"Liam reminds me every time he sees me." Harry replied. 

 

"Is he excited?" Louis closed the dishwasher and faced Harry. 

 

Shrugging, Harry sat Archie down. "I mean, of course he is. It's his kid. But he's nervous. God only knows why." 

 

"I thought he'd be excited. He gets his second little boy and Finn gets a brother." Louis commented. "Niall and I were discussing names the other day, and I suggested Oliver. I kept saying how much I loved that name, and he had to remind me that I had a child named Oliver. Isn't that sad?" He giggled. 

 

"Oh no." Harry gasped, grabbing Louis' face between his hands. "You've completely lost your mind. Whatever will I do now? I can't possibly raise eight children by myself." 

 

Giggling even harder, Louis put his hands on top of Harry's. "You're so dramatic. Why did I marry you?" 

 

Stepping back, Harry pouted. "You know, you say that almost on a daily basis. Should I be worried?" 

 

"Of course not." Louis patted Harry's stomach reassuringly. "You've got nothing to worry about. I'll never leave you. Unless you go broke." 

 

Harry nodded in understanding. "And there it is." 

 

"Oh, come on." Louis rolled his eyes. He walked back over to the table and picked up the leftover breakfast items. The twins were still nibbling away, not speaking. They were too busy filling their tummies. "You know I'd never leave you." 

 

"I'd die." Harry said honestly. "I mean it. I would be a broken man." 

 

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Louis suggested, grabbing Archie from the floor where Harry had put him. "You go and get Atty. I heard him giggling over the baby monitor." 

 

"That boy," Harry shook his head. "Should we be worried at how much he sleeps?" 

 

"Absolutely not. He's eight months old and sleeps through the night. We won't worry, nor will we complain." He was a big believer in not questioning when his babies slept through the night. 

 

Holding his hands up, Harry backed away. "You're the boss." 

 

Once he left, Louis looked at Archie. "And he'd better never forget that." 

 

-

 

"Liam wants to name him Peter." Was the first thing Niall said when he and Liam entered the kitchen later that evening. Liam was holding a pie, and had a bottle of wine in the other hand, and he looked exasperated. 

 

"He wants to name who Peter?" Harry asked, coming in from the laundry room. He had caught the last half of the conversation. 

 

"The baby." The look on Niall's face was priceless, and he looked at Louis with an expectant expression. 

 

"Peter Payne." Louis said dryly, giving Liam the same deadpan look Niall was giving him. "You want to name your baby Peter Payne." 

 

"I should have known you'd side with him," Liam mumbled, putting the pie on the counter. "Harry, what do you think?" 

 

"I think..." Harry chewed his lip. "I think I'd better not say what I think. What are the other names you have picked out?" 

 

Liam tossed his hands up and huffed. He grabbed a glass and helped himself to some wine. He would need it. "Why don't you all like Peter? It's a respectable name." 

 

"It's only respectable because you want to name him after the little one on Game of Thrones." Niall reminded Liam. "And I refuse to give him two  _P_ names. Peter Payne. Honestly, Liam, what even." 

 

"Well," Harry clapped Liam on the back. "Let's not gang up on him. Let's go through some other names." 

 

Niall noticed Liam's sadness and went to comfort him. It was hard giving him a hug, due to the every growing belly, but he made it work. "Oh, Liam. We're just teasing." 

 

Liam perked up. "So we can name him Peter?" 

 

"No." Niall shook his head. "What about...I really haven't thought of any names." 

 

"Really?" Louis asked in surprise. His hand paused from stirring the stir fry he was making. "I had names picked out before I even found out I was pregnant." 

 

Harry walked up behind Louis and wrapped his arms around him. "Slight exaggeration." He shook his head. "It took us months to figure out a name for Bean." 

 

"That's because you wanted to deny naming him Harry Edward Styles the second." Louis reminded him dryly. "But you eventually gave in." 

 

"Yeah," Harry snorted. "When you were holding him." 

 

Louis held up his finger. "Ah, but you admit you have in?" He tilted his head and peeked around at Harry with a broad smile. He squealed when Harry nuzzled his neck, biting just hard enough to make him squirm. 

 

"Of course I gave in," Harry whispered. "I  _always_ give in." 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	65. Chapter 65

Louis doused his stir-fry in a healthy amount of soy sauce and twirled noodles around his chopsticks. As he shoved the food into his mouth, he listened to Niall and Liam shoot baby names back and forth across the table. He laughed, almost inhaling his food, at Niall's suggestion of  _Cheddar._ He knew his friend was making fun of Liam's baby name suggestions. 

 

"I'm down with Cheddar." Liam crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. He gave Niall a look that read,  _I'm going to win this._  

 

"Why didn't we think of Cheddar?" Harry pouted, turning to Louis. His own chopsticks held a hefty amount of chicken. It was his second helping, Louis noted. 

 

"Because, darling," Louis patted his free hand lovingly. "We liked Swiss better. You remember." 

 

"Honestly, shut up." Niall whined. "You two are absolutely no help." 

 

"Look," Louis faced his two friends. "I think, just from personal experience, that the mother should have final say." Before Niall could cheer triumphantly, he added, " _But_ , Liam should have a hand in the decision. You two should agree."

 

With raised eyebrows, Niall asked, "Didn't Harry veto Bean's name?" 

 

"Yes," Louis nodded. "But he finally agreed when he saw the little bundle of joy in my arms." He grinned lovingly at Harry. 

 

"It was my first baby; a son," Harry had moon eyes, and he leaned forward to kiss Louis' forehead. "Of course I agreed. I loved him so much, and I loved you so much. I would have agreed to anything in that moment." 

 

Pulling away, nose scrunched and eyes sparkling, Louis giggled. "I wish I would have known that." 

 

A noise of mock disgust broke them both out of their little love fest. It was Niall, and he was grumbling as he reached for seconds. Liam pushed the bowl towards him, helping out. It got a soft smile from Niall. 

 

"That's gross." He rolled his eyes. "Pass the soy sauce." 

 

Louis slid him the sauce and grinned. "Don't be bitter, Ni." 

 

"Liam," Niall addressed his spouse. "Do you see how gross they are?"

 

Harry looked over at Louis, and grinned, seeing that his little spouse was staring right back at him. Niall was right, they  _were_ gross, but they were so in love, and he couldn't believe that he got to sleep next to Louis every night. He must have done something amazing in a previous life to be able to raise children with his magnificent little lover. 

 

"I love you," He cheesed, leaning forward. Louis did the same, and they brushed noses. It was quite possibly the most nauseating, cute thing they'd ever done in the presence of company. 

 

"It's refreshing," Liam beamed honestly. "Especially after everything." 

 

"We don't talk about that anymore," Harry disclosed, though Liam didn't take him seriously due to the broad smile stretched across his face. "That was such a bad time for us both." 

 

"Of course it was," Niall sympathized. He decided to change the subject, knowing how uncomfortable it could be to talk about relationship woes with others. "So, are your kids excited for summer vacation? I know ours are." 

 

"More importantly," Louis held up a finger and pointed at Niall's baby bump. "Are  _you_ ready? You're due anytime now." 

 

Niall cradled his bump and looked at it adoringly. "Of course I'm ready. For the baby, more than the summer vacation. I love my kids, but I'd prefer to have them in school while the baby is a newborn." 

 

Louis agreed wholeheartedly. "I know what you mean. It's so much easier when you can focus on the baby. With all the kids home, you go crazy. Laundry, cooking, cleaning up, entertaining the others, all while trying to get a nap in." 

 

"It's so difficult." Niall sighed. 

 

"I'll be home," Liam reminded Niall. "I told you I'd take the kids while you napped." 

 

"But are you going to do the cooking and cleaning?" Niall raised his eyebrows and looked at Liam. Liam had good intentions, but fathers never really knew how much they could help with a newborn baby. It wasn't just letting the mother nap. 

 

"I will," Liam promised, holding his hand over his heart. "You won't have to lift a finger." 

 

"Bless, Liam," Louis raised his glass and toasted his friend. "I did so much laundry when the babies were little and cooked so much that I can hardly stand to do any of it anymore." 

 

"Technically, I did the laundry," Harry intervened. "Around your sleeping body." 

 

Blushing, Louis blew Harry a kiss. "And I thank you for that." 

 

Liam looked confused. "What do you mean, around his sleeping body? Did you sleep in the laundry room?" 

 

Harry grinned at Louis and nodded. "He sure did. It's partially soundproofed, and light tight, so that's where he'd go to nap when he was exhausted. I can't tell you how many times I'd have to move him off of a certain pile of clothes to another, just so I could wash them." 

 

Niall stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea. Actually, that's genius. Liam, if I'm ever in the laundry room, don't disturb me." 

 

Raising his glass towards Niall, Louis winked. "I've got plenty more secrets where that came from," He promised to tell Niall when Harry and Liam weren't around. Mother's had to have their secrets too, you know. 

 

-

 

"Okay, baby," Louis looked at Atty and smiled. "You're going to spend the day with your aunt Gemma, and Mummy's going to go surprise Daddy at work." He glanced at his baby in the rearview mirror one last time before pulling out of their driveway. It was nearing lunchtime, and he had gotten the crazy idea to show up to Harry's work and take him out. One quick call to Gemma and the plan was sealed. 

 

As he drove into London, he was so nervous and excited. He remembered how he'd told Harry the previous night that his day was going to be so busy, because not only did Bean have footie, Lucas had ballet practice and then he had to make a project for the science fair. He'd told Harry that he would be out all day getting supplies and then had to take Bella and Olivia after school to get new gymnastic shoes. Thinking back, it was lucky that he'd said all that, because now Harry wouldn't expect him at all. 

 

Gemma, bless her heart, had offered to take not only Atty, but Bella and Olivia to get shoes after school. He was dropping Atty off at the hotel Gemma and Matt were occupying, and later, Gemma would take Atty and the girls back over to Louis' house and wait for the kids to get home from school. Then, she'd take her girls and Louis' girls to get shoes, while Matt stayed to take Bean to footie practice and help Lucas with his project. 

 

He was fortunate, and he'd expressed it to Gemma when he dropped Atty off at the hotel. With a kiss to her cheek and Atty's head, he was off to Harry's towering building across town. Entering the parking garage, he parked in the spot next to Harry's, because not only did Harry's say  _Parking Reserved for Harry Styles,_ the spot next to it said  _Parking Reserved for Louis Styles_. It was a little thing Harry did to surprise him. Liam had also done the same for Niall. Underneath it all, said,  _Unauthorized vehicles will be towed immediately._

 

Louis locked the car and headed to the elevator. Inside, he pressed the button for the very top floor and bit his lower lip. He was so excited to see Harry, even though it had only been a mere five hours since he'd last seen his husband. He was so in love with Harry, and wanted to spend every moment he could with him. 

 

 _And_ , he was wearing brand new lingerie under his skin-tight jeans and v-neck shirt. He could already picture Harry's reaction, his mouth watering and eye's lighting up with burning desire. He imagined being taken on Harry's couch, or against the floor-to-ceiling glass window. He even pictured Harry sweeping everything off of his desk and taking him there. 

 

The elevator doors pinged open and he stepped out. Harry's new secretary, Will, wasn't at his desk, but a quick check to his phone clock told him that it was probably Will's lunchtime. Harry was very fair at giving his employees the right to choose when they took their breaks. 

 

He walked to Harry's office door and swung it open. He never needed to knock, but when he saw what was in front of him, he thought that he probably should have. Maybe then, he wouldn't have seen Harry balls-deep in Will, who was spread out across his desk, moaning obscenely. He gasped and dropped his phone. 

 

That got Harry's attention, and his eyes widened comically. He pulled out of Will, Louis  _heard_ the squelching, and zipped his pants. If he weren't so in shock, Louis might have laughed at the fact that Harry didn't even take his pants off properly, he just unzipped them enough to pull his cock out - his  _bare_ cock out. 

 

With a sick feeling, Louis realized that Harry was fucking Will unprotected. He suddenly felt nauseous, and clutched at his stomach. 

 

"Baby  - " Harry stepped forward, holding his hand up. Will stayed frozen on the desk. 

 

A sob escaped his lips and turned to leave, only pausing to grab his now shattered phone. He darted to the elevators and slammed on the button. When it opened, he slipped inside. 

 

"Louis!" Harry called, getting to the elevators a second later. He watched them close with a defeated look on his face. He pounded his fists against the closed elevator doors. "Fuck." 

 

Inside the elevator, Louis was sobbing into his hands. His shattered phone screen was digging into the bare skin of his hip, as he'd shoved it into his pocket so quickly it held his shirt up. He didn't care. Nothing hurt as bad as seeing Harry with someone else. His  _secretary_ , no less. God, how cliche could Harry be? Screwing around with the secretary? Louis had always been wary of Harry's secretaries, even though they were all professional women who had given him no reason to be suspicious. He couldn't help it. It was nature. 

 

But when Harry had hired Will - smart, attractive,  _twinky_ Will - his defenses had gone up  _so_ much. He was so scared to see Harry off to work every morning, and he always thought he was being irrational. Harry married  _him_. Harry had seven kids with  _him_ , Harry took in a friends child with  _him_. Harry had bought a house and grocery shopped and made love with  _him_. Not Will. 

 

Thinking back, he hadn't been irrational in thinking that Will had ulterior motives. He'd seen how Will looked at Harry. His eyes followed Harry's every moves, he laughed at all of Harry's jokes, and was completely uninterested in the fact that Harry was married and had children. 

 

When the elevator stopped at the parking garage, Louis couldn't flee fast enough. He needed to get away, and as far as he was concerned, he never wanted to see Harry again. 

 

-

 

Louis jolted awake, skin prickling with fear. His dream came flooding back into his mind. Sitting up in bed, he held one hand over his heart while the other groped around for his phone. He pressed the home button, squinting when the light flooded his eyes. There wasn't a single mark or scratch on the screen. It wasn't busted. He sat it down and glanced over at Harry, who was sleeping peacefully, snoring quietly. He was on his back, shirtless, with the blankets twisted around his hips. His arm was outstretched, hand open, and Louis thought that they'd probably been holding hands. 

 

Still, seeing Harry asleep and  _not_ fucking some little secretary, didn't stop his heart from racing in his chest. He needed Harry awake and telling him from his own mouth that not once had he slept with anyone else while being married. 

 

He pressed two fingers to Harry's shoulder and poked a few times. He watched as Harry stirred, blinking his eyes open a few times. Over the years, Harry had gotten better at not sleeping through practically anything. He was getting more in-tuned with his surroundings. 

 

"What?" Harry's voice was husky and deep, rough from sleep. 

 

"Have you ever cheated on me?" Louis asked quietly, staring Harry in the face. He watched Harry's face turn from sleepiness to confusion, and he tracked Harry's movements as he sat up. 

 

"What?" Harry asked, definitely awake. "Of course not." 

 

"I had a dream," Louis began, letting Harry tangle their hands together. His hands in Harry's much larger ones always made him feel better. "You were fucking your secretary. I wanted to surprise you at work." 

 

Harry's eyebrows were lifted. He really couldn't believe  _how_ Louis could have a dream like that. "Baby, darling," He freed one of his hands and cupped Louis' cheek. "My sweet boy. I've  _never_ cheated on you. Nor do I have the desire to. You have everything I've ever wanted." 

 

"Your secretary was very cute." Louis said dumbly. "You liked him." 

 

"Baby, my secretary is a sixty-three year-old woman named Denise." Harry reminded him. "And she's been happily married for forty years." 

 

Louis knew about Denise. She was a lovely little woman and he loved her. "Oh." He swallowed. "Right." 

 

"Come here," Harry leaned back against the pillows and waited until Louis curled up in his embrace. When they were as close as two people could possibly be, he continued. "Have I not been loving you good enough? Is that why you had this dream?" 

 

Louis shrugged. 

 

"Maybe I haven't been fucking you good enough." Harry said thoughtfully. "I think you need at least two orgasms before bed. Let's start doing that, okay? I think I'll eat you out and then make sweet love to you. There will be no sleeping until you've come twice." 

 

"Okay." Louis nodded. He could get behind that idea, and he had to admit, he felt better. Thinking about his dream after talking to Harry made the whole thing seem silly. Harry had never given him any reason to doubt his fidelity. 

 

Harry's long fingers danced down Louis' bare arm. "Do you want to start tonight? It's..." He turned to look at the clock on his nightstand. "Two in the morning, but I reckon with a few good orgasms you'll sleep for awhile." 

 

"No," Louis shook his head. "Thank you though. I'm not in the mood." 

 

"Then how about you tell me about the dream." Harry suggested. He could still feel how shaken Louis was, and it really bothered him. 

 

"I don't want you to get mad." 

 

"Baby, that's ridiculous." Harry kissed his temple and settled further into the bed. "You have no control over your subconscious. If this dream really scared you, you might feel better telling it to me. You don't have to, though."

 

"No, I will." Louis said, and to make himself feel better, he turned and tossed a leg over Harry's. The way he was turned, pressed against Harry, made him feel safer somehow. And, his head was resting on Harry's chest, so he could hear Harry's heartbeat.

 

"Take your time, darling." Harry was hoping that it wasn't so bad that Louis couldn't forget about it. He knew how dreams could be, and he didn't want it to be added to the list of things for Louis to worry about.

 

"So, I was taking Atty to your sisters in London," Louis began, voice steady. "She said she'd watch him, and then drive back to our house later and wait for the kids to get home from school. I was worried because I wanted to surprise you, but also because it was a busy day. Bean had footie practice and Lucas had ballet practice, and he also needed supplies for a science project."

 

"Of course," Harry chimed in.

 

"But, the girls also needed to get new shoes for gymnastics. Gemma had called and said she'd watch Atty and then when the kids got home from school, she'd take her girls and our girls to get new shoes, while Matt took Bean to footie and Lucas to ballet. He'd go and get the supplies and then drive back to pick them up. It was perfect, really."

 

"Flawless," Harry agreed. Even in Louis' dreams, things worked out perfectly.

 

"So, I dropped him off with Gemma and drove across London to your building. I parked in my parking space - " He paused and glanced up at Harry. "In my dream, you had a parking spot that said _Reserved for Louis Styles_ , right next to yours. I thought it was very nice." 

 

Harry made a mental note to get it done as soon as possible. "That's a very nice touch, my love. I'll have to see about that."

 

"But anyway," He continued, already feeling loads better talking about it. "I rode the elevator up to the top floor, and I thought it was weird that Will wasn't at his desk - "

 

"Will?" Harry interrupted, confused.

 

"Oh, he was your secretary." Louis answered. "But I didn't think anything of it, because you give your employees the privilege to choose when they take their breaks and such. So I didn't knock on your door, and I just swung it wide open...and there you were. Um, with him."

 

"That's enough, darling," Harry cooed quietly. "I don't need to hear more and you don't have to tell me. It's quite alright."

 

Honestly, Louis appreciated it. He didn't want to remember the dream anymore than he had to, and he didn't want Harry to think that he thought of him as a cheater, when in reality, Harry was the most faithful man alive. He didn't have a wandering eye or a lust for different things. He was perfectly content with his life.

 

"Sorry I woke you," He apologized, snuggling further into Harry's warm embrace. Suddenly, he was so exhausted.

 

"Don't be. I'm glad you woke me." Harry pulled the blankets up over their bodies and kissed Louis' head again. "Get some sleep, love. I want you to sleep for as long as you want, okay?"

 

"Hardly," Louis yawned, appreciating the sentiment, but he'd be up with the kids.

 

"I mean it," Harry's reply was fierce. "I'll get up with the children." 

 

"Does that mean you'll stay home from work?" Louis asked hopefully. He wanted to spend the whole day with Harry. They could have lunch together, maybe plan a vacation with the kids.

 

"Of course." Harry promised. "I want to spend the day with my best boy. My _only_ boy."  


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> affect?? effect?? who knows

With summer upon them, Louis had forgotten all about the summer camp in Scotland that Bean wanted to attend. In fact, he was so adamant on ignoring it, he'd shoved the pamphlets deep into Harry's nightstand, ready to keep his babies with him all summer. And, of course, just as he was forgetting all about it, Harry went and cleaned out his nightstand, producing all sorts of papers. 

 

Louis had watched him pull out the thick white envelope from his perch on the bed, and his eyes went wide. 

 

"What's this doing in here?" He pulled out the contents and sat them on the edge of the bed. "This is the summer camp Bean wanted to go to, right?" His tone of voice told Louis that he knew exactly what it was, he was just offering an out, of sorts. 

 

"Uh," Louis faked confusion and looked over at it briefly, barely giving it a glance. "I'm not sure. Hey, let's order a pizza." 

 

Harry's eyes darted to the left, where the clock read him the time. "Baby, it's almost eleven at night." 

 

"You're right. I meant, let's have sex." Louis offered. "Put that away and penetrate me." 

 

Harry frowned, keeping the envelope in his hands. "It's funny to me how even after ten years of marriage, you still think I don't know when you're lying." 

 

Louis' mouth opened. "How very dare you - " 

 

"Oh, please." Harry sat the envelope down and climbed on the bed next to Louis. "I can read you like a book. It's cute, really." 

 

With a pout, Louis pushed the envelope off of the bed, much like a disgruntled cat. Out of sight, out of mind. He loved his children, and he wanted to keep them as close to him as he possibly could. "I mean it," He reached for his dashing husband. "Let's have sex." 

 

"As tempting as your offer is," Harry snorted and stood up. He bent over and picked the envelope up. "Bean researched this and if it's something he really wants to do, then we have to let him explore his options. I don't want to shelter him his whole life." 

 

"That's fine," Louis wanted to scream. "But Bean isn't the only one that wants to do it. Lucas wants to do it, and so do the twins." 

 

"The girls don't?" Harry asked, surprised. Usually, his girls were the first to jump onto anything outdoorsy. And the summer camp in question was very much outdoorsy. They were rough and tumble and he loved every second of it. In fact, it was why he and Louis had enrolled them in gymnastics and dance. It was great for their energy. 

 

"Oh," Louis huffed, rolling his eyes. He flopped back onto the pillows and threw an arm over his eyes. "They do. All my babies want to go to Scotland and leave me forever." 

 

So, maybe he was being dramatic. But Harry was a good sport and climbed onto the bed and curled up next to him. With the added warmer, bigger body, Louis felt a bit better. Harry's presence always had that effect on him. 

 

"Darling, if they want to go, who are we to stop them?" Harry's words were wise, and Louis hated him for it.  _Of course_ he was going to let them talk about it and explore their options.  _Of course_ he was going to let them go if they absolutely wanted to. He was just being difficult and Harry knew it. 

 

-

 

After Louis and Harry had offered up the summer camp as an option to the children who were eligible, they focused their attention on renovating the attic space. It was an incredibly large space, and Harry had hired the best contractors money could get. If they were to be living in that house for the rest of their lives, he wanted to make sure it would last. 

 

Of course, he gave Louis full control, only adding his opinion when Louis asked. As long as it was what Louis wanted, then he would be happy. Louis had been asking to turn the attic into their bedroom for over a year, so it was only fair. 

 

"Harry, where do you want the bathroom?" Louis called from across the room. He was standing with a contractor, helping make the blueprint. The attic was officially a work space, with tarps on the ground and the windows covered in plastic. 

 

He left his position by one of the windows they would be replacing and headed over to his spouse. "Doesn't matter to me." He said. "I'm sure you'll pick a great spot." 

 

"Well, do you want to wake up in the middle of the night and have the bathroom right next to you, or have to walk across the carpet to get to it?" Louis pointed to the possible places they could have it as he spoke. "Obviously away from the stairs. Can't have you slipping down them again." 

 

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He asked fondly, kissing the top of Louis' head. "I quite like it over here." He pointed to the space that would put it across the room. "Ooh, how about a fireplace?" 

 

"It's a good idea, but impractical. What if our room catches on fire?" Louis asked him. "The whole house would be toast." 

 

"We could probably figure something out," One of the contractors, Mila, said. "If you really wanted a fireplace, we could have a small one. A larger one would alter the flooring and we'd inevitably have to tear out some of the room below." 

 

"If you can think of something, that's great, but don't trouble yourself. My husband has a thing for fireplaces." Louis smiled at her. 

 

"Correction: I have a thing for  _you_ in front of fireplaces." Harry grinned, his dimples popping out. 

 

Louis wanted to facepalm. Harry was so gross. He looked at Mila apologetically. "Please don't quit." 

 

She laughed and shook her head. "It's refreshing. I'll see what I can do and I'll get back to you all. Meanwhile, we're visiting the lumber yard today, so I'll need a list of what type of wood you want us to use for the floors and the bathroom." 

 

"We'll go look at the samples." Louis promised her. He grabbed Harry's arm, curling his hand around the crook of Harry's elbow. He gave it a little squeeze, loving how muscular Harry's arm was, and led him to the stairs. 

 

"We'll have to get a gate or something to put here," Harry motioned to the space at the top. "The last thing we need is a child toppling down these steps." 

 

"Maybe a swinging gate." Louis thought, allowing Harry to hold his hand as they walked down the stairs. "Should we take this door down?" When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he tapped the wooden door that blocked the attic off from the rest of the house. 

 

"The kids are scared of it." Harry remembered. It was almost funny how terrified their kids were of the door at the end of the hallway. 

 

"Is that a yes or a no?" Louis asked, poking Harry in the stomach. The hard muscle flexed under his touch and he loved it. Harry was so fit. 

 

With a grin, Harry patted the voluptuous bottom in front of him. "It's a yes." 

 

-

 

In the end, Bean had decided against going to the summer camp. He would rather go on a family vacation, as would Lucas and the girls. Louis liked that idea a whole lot better, as he would miss his children terribly if they went to Scotland for the whole summer. So, with a family vacation in mind, he and Harry began to plot places they could go. 

 

With the kids's attention diverted to deciding on a vacation, and Louis' attention on picking a color scheme for their new bedroom, Harry turned his attention to, well, himself. If he was completely honest with himself, his long hair was beginning to get annoying, and it was impractical. He was a father of eight. How he'd managed to keep his hair long in the span of eight children was beyond him. 

 

He managed to get away one afternoon a few days later, driving himself to the salon he's always gone to. His hands were shaking with nerves as he sat in the chair and he closed his eyes as he heard the first snip of the hairdressers scissors. He felt his hair falling away, little bits dusting the back of his neck, his  _bare_ neck. 

 

When the hairdresser was done, she tousled his shorter hair and turned him around. He opened his eyes and his mouth fell open in shock. He never thought that he would look good with hair that short, but it accentuated his stubble-covered jaw line, and he thought that he looked rather handsome. 

 

"Fancy the shorter hair?" The hairdresser asked, still holding her scissors. Her  _magical_ scissors. 

 

"I do," He admitted, running his hand through it. The curls were gone, leaving a hint of wave to his shorter locks. His hand fell away when he realized that he didn't have as much to run through. "Although my husband might not let me in our house once he sees me." 

 

"Ah, secret hair cut?" She tsked, pulling the cape away from his neck. She shook it out. "Look at all that hair, mate. It's a wonder you didn't chop it off sooner." 

 

He did look at the floor and said a silent prayer for her broom when he saw just how much of his curly hair graced the floor. With a grimace, he stood, rubbing the back of his neck. It itched, like there were still little bits of hair there. 

 

"It was sort of my trademark," He shrugged, stepping over it. He followed her to the counter and paid, tipping well. When he left, he wanted to go somewhere else, just to build up the courage to face Louis, but the weather looked nasty, and he knew Louis would have a bitch fit if he drove around in stormy weather. So, he gave himself a pep talk as he drove the familiar route home. 

 

The second he pulled into their garage, the sky opened up and unleashed a torrential downpour. Thunder clapped and lightning lit up the outside sky, and he was thankful to have the foresight to park inside. He locked his car and headed into the house, combing through his hair once more. Taking a deep breath and mustering all the courage he could, he opened the door that led him into the kitchen. 

 

 _Damn_. Louis was standing at the stove, stirring something with his right hand. In his left, he had a small booklet of paint swatches out, and was studying it closely. 

 

"Harry?" He asked, not turning around. 

 

"It's me." He answered kicking his shoes off. They landed in the pile, right next to Bean's trainers and Lucas's bright red rain boots. 

 

"I can't decide on what paint color," Louis hummed, pulling the spoon out of the pot and placing it on the spoon rest. He turned around, eyes still on the swatches. "I was thinking gray, but - what the  _fuck_." 

 

His eyes were now wide and staring at Harry's [hair](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIQaMSLXcAQ1x-h.jpg:large), or lack thereof. The swatch book in his hands fell to the floor with a little slap, and Harry grimaced at him. He'd never seen that look on Louis' face before, and it kind of scared him. 

 

"What did you  _do_?" Louis shrieked, finding his voice. 

 

Harry's heart sunk a bit. He liked it, and he was really hoping that Louis liked it too. He self-consciously ran his hand through it again. "You don't like it?" He asked, masking his hurt in the best way he knew how. 

 

It didn't work. Louis could read him like a book, and was always quick to reassure him. Rushing forward, he grabbed Harry's biceps. "Jesus Christ, Harry," He muttered. "I need some warning before you come home with all your hair gone." 

 

"Sorry." He offered weakly. What else could he say? What's done is done. 

 

"I  _do_ like it." Louis promised him. "You look so dashing. I especially love this part," He lifted his smaller hand up and ran it through the hair that curled over the tops of Harry's ears. 

 

"You're not just saying that, are you?" Harry frowned. He would hate it if Louis was lying to him about it. 

 

Louis cupped Harry's face in his hands and shook his head. "Course not." He said softly. He pulled Harry's head down and kissed him quickly and gently. "You look so handsome. I miss the long hair, but I love the short hair." 

 

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I would hate it if you didn't like it." 

 

"I mean," Louis pulled away from Harry and returned to the stove. He had sort of forgotten about the soup, and he had to give it a stir. "Now there's less for me to hold onto when you're fucking me into oblivion, but we'll live, yeah?" He winked before turning his attention to the stove. 

 

"Louis - " Harry cut himself off, cursing quietly. "I  _told_ you, you can't say things like that when I'm not in an opportunity to fuck you." 

 

He watched as Louis slowly and deliberately gave the soup another stir, sat the spoon down, and twisted the stove knob to  _low_. Then, he turned to Harry with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. 

 

"You are now." 

 

-

 

Harry plastered himself against Louis' back and rested his chin on Louis' shoulder. His back was still damp with sweat, and his shirt was sticking to it, but he'd just had mind-blowing sex in their laundry room, so he wasn't complaining. 

 

"Must you  _always_ be so needy after sex?" Louis grumbled, moving slowly so that Harry could continue to stick to him. It was hard making dinner with a six-foot-two leech on your back, but he'd cope. He always did. 

 

"Yes." Harry answered seriously. "I just love you so much." 

 

Blushing, Louis bent his head down and kissed the arm that Harry had across his collarbones. The other one was around his waist and would be a bit hard to reach with his lips. "I love you too." He replied. "And I'd love you even more if you helped me finish dinner." 

 

"What's in it for me?" Harry asked. He was comfortable. 

 

"Round two." Was Louis' answer, and it got him moving. They were having chicken soup and sandwiches, easy enough. When it stormed, Louis always liked to prepare something warm and hearty. 

 

"Have the kids mentioned where they'd like to go yet?" Harry asked as he sat the table. A streak of lightning flashed outside, illuminating their kitchen for a brief second. A loud clap of thunder followed, and in the next room, Atty began wailing. 

 

"No, they haven't." Louis answered. 

 

"Probably want to go to Mars or something." Harry muttered to himself as he left the kitchen. In the den, Atty was laying in his little sleeper, kicking his arms and legs as he cried. "Doll, please don't cry. It breaks my heart to hear you do so." 

 

He lifted Atty up and kissed his eight month old on his chubby little cheek. "If you settle down, I'll take you to see Mummy. I know Mummy wants to see you very much." Even as he spoke, he carried Atty into the kitchen and over to Louis. 

 

Abandoning his spoon, Louis lifted Atty from Harry's grip and smothered his baby in kisses. "What a set of lungs you have," He cooed, bouncing Atty in his arms. He didn't worry about the state of dinner, as Harry had taken over. "I'm guessing you don't like thunder?"

 

"Is he just now not liking it?" Harry wondered, peeking over at his baby. "I can remember a few bad storms that he's slept right through." 

 

"I don't know," Louis shrugged. "Maybe he was already awake. Poor baby. I'm going to feed him, you got this?" 

 

Harry waved the spoon in his hand and nodded. "Sure do. Go take care of my baby." 

 

Louis began wandering towards the den again, but stopped in the doorway. "Hey," He called, looking at Harry. When Harry looked back at him, he asked, "Wanna fuck me again later?" 

 

Harry smiled so broadly that both dimples came out. "Is that ever a question?" 

 

 


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keeping those in las vegas in my heart today xoxo 
> 
> this is short, but i felt that i owed you all a chapter. please enjoy

It was no secret that Harry and Louis fought. Almost everyone who read tabloids knew of their rocky past, with separations and near-divorce. They fought loudly, hurling hurtful words at each other, knowing which buttons to push. They fought with their bodies, exchanging mean words as they moved together in their bed, bodies connected. But they  _never_ fought with their fists. 

 

Harry always grew ashamed when he found himself clenching a fist while arguing with Louis. He would have to shake it away and stop. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he hurt Louis physically. His lover was small, and it would undoubtedly leave a horrible mark, not only on his small body, but his mind as well. 

 

He found himself once again clenching his fist, as he stared at his spouse. For what he was angry about, he can't remember. The grin on Louis' face only made it worse. He was so mad he could scream. He  _hated_ it when Louis wouldn't take their arguments seriously. 

 

He had no time to say anything else, because seconds later, Louis was wrapping his arms around Harry's neck and burying his face there. Perplexed was the only thing Harry could describe himself as in that moment. 

 

"What in the hell are you doing?" He asked through clenched teeth. 

 

Snuggling into him further, Louis answered, voice muffled by the soft fabric of Harry's v-neck. "I read and article online that said when lovers are fighting, they should hug while doing so." 

 

"The  _fuck_." Harry growled. 

 

"It's nearly impossible to stay mad at someone you're hugging." Louis informed him. 

 

"Really?" Harry asked. "Cause I'm pretty fucking mad at you right now." 

 

Louis squeezed Harry tighter, as if somehow, the compression of their bodies would make all the anger in Harry's own body go away. "Why? You've yet to tell me why." 

 

"See, it's shit like this. You  _know_ why, or rather, you would if you ever paid attention to anything I told you." Harry's temples were beginning to throb. 

 

Louis pulled away, and Harry thought that he was going to let go and let him stew in his anger, but Louis was the type to resolve conflicts rather than let Harry stay angry. He unwrapped his hands from Harry's neck and put them on his cheeks, squishing them together. 

 

"I love you," He giggled, pressing a kiss to Harry's mouth. It was brief, and he moved on to each cheek, then nose, and then his forehead. After that, he kept dotting little wet smacks across Harry's face, laughing as he went. 

 

"Louis," Harry warned. It was cute, but he was still angry. But with each kiss, he felt his anger dissolving a little bit. 

 

"I love you so much," Louis said again, absolutely glowing. His eyes were gleaming and his nose was scrunched up, and he looked positively beautiful. He kept kissing Harry's face, little open-mouthed pecks across the bridge of his nose, each eyelid, and around his jawline. 

 

"Baby - " The hands that Harry had resting at Louis' hips flexed, squeezing. 

 

"That's  _right_!" Louis beamed. "I'm your baby. And I love you." He resumed kissing all over Harry's face, laughing when the stubble along Harry's jaw line tickled him. 

 

Sighing, he was just about to give up. There was almost no fight in him anymore. "Louis..." He exhaled. "I've gotten enough kisses." 

 

"You can never have too many kisses!" Louis said, but his words were almost unintelligible because he was laughing so hard. His whole body was shaking with it, and the kisses he was giving Harry were no more than just open mouthed licks. He was unable to close his mouth to properly kiss. 

 

"I love you, I love you, I love you." Louis squealed. His arms were limp around Harry's shoulders and he was weak with giggles. 

 

Harry could hear how wheezy and tired Louis was getting. His body was limp and pliant on Harry's, warm and soft and just the perfect weight for his lap. He wrapped his arms around Louis' slim waist and splayed his fingers out. He  _loved_ the dip of Louis' spine, and he was always running his hands down it. 

 

"I love you too, baby." He murmured, catching Louis' soft lips with his own. The fight was officially gone from him. All he wanted to do was lay in bed and love his little lover. "Forever." 

 

Louis hummed and then sighed happily. When their lips separated, he let his body rest against Harry's, pressing his forehead against Harry's shoulder. Harry was so big and warm and solid; the perfect place for him to sleep. 

 

"It worked." Harry said, running his fingers through Louis' soft hair. 

 

"Hm?" With the way Harry was playing with his hair, Louis was already half asleep. Drowsiness  _always_ followed when someone played with his hair. 

 

"The theory, or whatever." Harry reminded him. "It's impossible to stay mad at you when you're hugging me." 

 

" _And_ kissing." Louis giggled. 

 

"Yes," Harry grinned. "I've always been weak for those soft lips of yours. You use that to your advantage." 

 

"I do." Louis confirmed, pulling back slightly. "And if I upset you earlier, I'm sorry. Let's not fight again for the rest of our lives." 

 

"If we didn't fight -" Harry began, turning them so that Louis was sprawled across the bed. He crawled over his lover and hovered. "Who would I have make-up sex with?" 

 

"True." Louis giggled. He trailed a finger down the side of Harry's scruffy cheek. "Hazza," 

 

Harry's heart warmed when he heard the nickname Louis had given him years ago. It was rare to hear it, but he loved it so much. "Yes, lovey?" 

 

"I really like your hair." Louis' words were quiet and sincere. "You look so handsome." 

 

He leaned down and nuzzled Louis' neck. He pressed his nose against his lovers pulse and inhaled. As always, Louis smelled of the lightest traces of vanilla and  _home_. "Thank you, petal. I'm so glad that you like it." 

 

Louis hummed and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "How do you think the kids will react? They've only ever known you with long hair." 

 

Huh. He hadn't thought about that. "I hope they don't run screaming." He admitted, laughing. "I was afraid that you would. I almost didn't come home." 

 

"Don't be silly," Louis tugged at the shorter strands of Harry's hair. "I think you look dashing. No matter what." He promised. 

 

"Even if I were to go gray?" Harry mused, pulling away to grin down at Louis. "Even if I were to go bald?" 

 

"Gray, definitely," Louis nodded. "You'd be quite the silver fox. Bald, however, may be a deal breaker." 

 

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry rolled his eyes. With his head of hair, there was no chance he'd ever go bald, and if he did, he knew Louis would love him just the same. His little lover was just being difficult. 

 

"Now," Louis snuggled up against Harry. "Let's go get something to eat and scare the kids with your new haircut."

 

-

 

Their children had reacted neutrally. Bean had simply shrugged and went back to his book, and Lucas gave Harry's new hair a pat and skipped out of the room. The twins had no idea what had happened, and the girls loved it. Archie was just like the twins, and didn't know what was different. And Atty didn't count because he was a baby. 

 

But what  _had_ gotten their attention is when Bean told everyone where he wanted to go on vacation. Everyone else had already given up on helping their older brother decide, and Bean took pride in the fact that he was choosing the best possible vacation for them. 

 

"Camping," Louis deadpanned, staring at his first born. "You want us to go camping?"

 

"Yes." Bean nodded eagerly. "I've done some research. Not only does camping without electronics reset our bodies natural clocks, but it's scientifically proven to strengthen family bonds." 

 

Louis was flabbergasted, but he continued to roll out the pizza dough. "It certainly sounds like you've been researching this for quite awhile. Did you have any place in mind?" 

 

Bean nodded and produced a thick stack of papers. "I printed these from daddy's computer." He laid them on the counter and clambered up onto the barstool. "There's a place not far from us, and it has a lake, and hiking trails." He pointed to a picture of what looked to be a beautiful campground. 

 

"That's very pretty," Louis complimented. "Have you spoken to daddy?"

 

Bean shook his head, pushing the curls away from his eyes. It was high time for a haircut, but Louis just couldn't bring himself to do it. He loved Bean's curls. They were an exact replica of Harry's. 

 

"No." Bean answered, reaching across the counter to snag a pepperoni. "He was on the phone with Liam when I printed these off. I assumed he'd be done by now." 

 

Louis couldn't help but smile at his eleven-year-old's use of big words. "I'm sure he'll be done soon. Do you want to camp in a tent, or an RV, or - " 

 

"Tent, mummy. It's not really camping if it's in an RV." Bean informed him. "I was thinking that me and Lucas could share a tent with Ollie and Theo, and Bella and Liv could share a tent with Archie. Atty would obviously sleep with you and daddy." 

 

"Atty would spend the night with grandma," Louis said. "He's too little to go camping. But I think that's a great idea. What do your siblings have to say?" 

 

"Lucas wants to go. Daddy bought him a new book about identifying different plants and bugs, and he hasn't filled it yet. Bella said that her and Liv would go  _only_ if they could have a pink tent, and Ollie and Theo ignored me when I asked." Bean answered. 

 

"Well, of course the girls want a pink tent. Have you seen their room?" Louis asked Bean. Their room was painted a creamy off-white, and the curtains on the windows were pink, their bed canopies were pink, the blankets and pillows on their beds were pink, and they had pink rugs. 

 

"I'm just glad Lucas came after me." Bean shuddered. "Or else I would have to share with a sister." 

 

Louis laughed. "What about the twins? If Lucas hadn't been after you, the twins would have." He reminded Bean. 

 

A thoughtful look crossed Bean's face, and he shrugged. "Oh well. I'd rather share with Lucas." 

 

With that, he swiveled on the stool and hopped off, leaving the kitchen. Louis watched him go, a fond look on his face. He was always amazed to see at the ways his children were growing and learning and learning who they were and what their place in the world was. It was truly fascinating to him. 

 

Sighing contentedly, he turned his attention back to the pizza dough, stretching it across two pieces of stoneware, preparing to firm it up a bit in the oven. He was reaching for the pot of pizza sauce he'd made when Harry wandered in. 

 

"Did Bean talk to you?" He asked, watching as Harry sat down across from him. Just like Bean, he reached over and grabbed a pepperoni.  _Like father, like son._  

 

"No?" Harry asked, chewing. "Was he supposed to? He was in my office while I was on the phone." 

 

"Yeah, he printed off a few papers. He's chosen where we're vacationing this year." Louis informed him, sliding the pizza crusts into the preheated oven. 

 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" He was amused. "And where are we vacationing?" 

 

"Well, it's not so much a vacation..." He trailed off, waiting for Harry to realize what he meant. 

 

It only took a few seconds, and then Harry's face lit up in delight. He clapped his hands together and gave Louis a shit eating grin. "He chose camping, didn't he? Oh, my smart, sweet boy. You just can't escape camping, can you?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes, remembering when he and Harry tried to decide where to vacation awhile back. Harry's idea had been camping, while his had been Disney. And Harry was right; he was  _never_ going to escape, so he might as well get it over with. 

 

"Don't worry," Harry was saying, sensing his hesitation. "We'll get the necessary supplies and it'll be great. I think you'll have a good time." 

 

"It's not that..." Louis shrugged, grabbing the shredded cheese out of the refrigerator. "I'm just thinking worse-case scenario. You know how I am." 

 

Harry nodded. He knew that ever since having children, Louis  _always_ thought of what could go wrong before he thought of anything else. "Baby, you've been in a constant state of worry for eleven years. Let me do the worrying this time, okay? You just talk to the kids and see what they want to do." 

 

"Yeah, okay." Louis agreed. "But if they change their minds, I had nothing to do with it!" 

 

He would have everything to do with it, but he knew that they'd never change their minds. 

 

 _Damn_. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	68. Chapter 68

Louis nervously paced the small waiting room he and Harry were in. He'd much go get his children from his mothers house and cuddle up with them at home, especially since the rainy weather practically screamed  _stay in bed_ , but no. Harry wanted to update their will, and he'd dragged Louis along with him. 

 

"Relax, please." Harry sighed, fiddling with a button on his sheer shirt. Louis watched the movement. Harry's hands had always turned him on. Their size and the length of his ring-covered fingers just sent him into a frenzy sometimes. 

 

"What's the point of buttons if I can see through your shirt?" He asked, sitting next to his spouse. "I can see nip, right there." He reached forward and poked Harry's left nipple. 

 

"Hey," Harry slapped his hands away and pouted. "It's sheer, not see through. And it's a new shirt. I wanted to wear it." 

 

"It's raining." Louis reminded him. "So it will make it even more  _sheer_ , you haughty bastard." 

 

Sighing, Harry took the hand Louis was using to poke him with and kissed it. "Is it because you wanted to wear it first? I know how you like to wear my clothes." 

 

Louis pouted and snuggled into Harry's side. Armrests be damned, he was going to cuddle his husband. "Maybe. You just get all the cool clothes sent to you." It was true. At least twice a week, delivery trucks were unloading boxes of clothes and shoes at their doorstep. 

 

"I'm like a silent ambassador for these brands, little love." Harry explained. "How about I give them your sizes? You'd be surprised at what they'd do for me." 

 

Louis thought about it. "Does it have to be Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci?" He finally asked. "I'm more of a Agent Provocateur and Bordelle ambassador, you know?" He said that with a grin, knowing full well what it would do to Harry. 

 

Harry glanced around the empty waiting room and clamped his hand around Louis' thigh. "You did  _not_ just list lingerie brands to me in public." But he did, and now all Harry could picture was his lover wearing items from those collections, and it made his pants tighten. 

 

"Sorry,  _Daddy_." Louis apologized with a wink. He wasn't sorry at all. In fact, he was wearing a pair of black lace panties that cut high on his cheeks, knowing full well that when they got home, they would take full advantage of having the house to themselves. 

 

"Louis." Harry warned through clenched teeth. Though they would be getting called back any minute, he wasn't above dragging Louis into the bathroom for a quickie. He was a weak man. 

 

Before Louis could do anything else to torture Harry, the door opened and a tall, gray haired man stepped out. It was their lawyer, had been for years, but Louis had never met him. Really, he'd forgotten all about him. 

 

"Ready?" Their lawyer, Greg, asked with a smile. He led them into his office and gestured for them to sit on a pair of ridiculously plush, deep red chairs. While he himself was settling behind his desk, Louis took a quick look around. 

 

Dark walls were covered in what he assumed to be expensive paintings of scenic landscapes. There was a picture window covered in a frilly curtain, really not at all what he'd expect, but then again, the chairs and the gold rug by the door spoke of Greg's eccentric and expensive taste. 

 

"So, we're discussing the will today?" Greg asked, pulling out some papers and opening a tab on his computer. 

 

"Yes." Harry confirmed. "We'd like to finalize the beneficiaries and tie up the loose ends." 

 

Harry was the businessman, so Louis was content to sit there and let him do all the work. 

 

"Alrighty..." Greg clicked around on his computer. "You two have been married for almost ten years. Why are you just now finalizing the will? Harry, I know you've been in here a couple of times, but we've never finished it." 

 

"To be honest, we kept having kids." Harry answered, crossing his legs. "And I know it's irresponsible to have left the will open for all this time, but I wanted to make sure that we were absolutely done expanding our family before we finalized." 

 

Greg nodded. "That's as good a reason as any. Now, you have eight kids? With the newest addition being almost a year?" 

 

"Yes, Atticus will be one in October." Louis found himself answering. 

 

"Mr. Styles, you've accrued a total bank account balance of eighty-four million pounds in the past five years." Greg said it as if it were normal, but Louis' eyes widened and he swiveled to look at Harry. 

 

"What?" He whispered, probably not quietly. 

 

Harry put a comforting hand on his thigh and addressed Greg. "Yes, that's correct." 

 

"And you estimate to accrue another six million by the years end." Greg was practically speaking to himself at that point, making notes on his computer. "And you wish to have each child inherit eight million pounds?"

 

"That's if I die tomorrow." Harry said. "Of course, before I pass, I'll update it again. Their inheritance will be well over eight million pounds." 

 

"Harry," Louis squeaked, feeling overwhelmed. He thought that Harry was sitting at  _maybe_ a million, two million pounds.  _Not_ eighty-four million. 

 

"Baby," Harry acknowledged quietly, squeezing his thigh. "It's okay, love." 

 

"Now, about that." Greg squinted as he read from a piece of paper. He clicked some more on his computer before saying, "In the unlikely event of your death, Mr. Styles, you want your half of the business, the house on 200 Bennington Avenue, three vehicles, all your stocks and bonds, business contracts, and the total sum of eighty-four million pounds and counting to go to your spouse, Louis Tomlinson Styles?" 

 

"That's correct." Harry nodded. 

 

Louis suddenly felt nauseous. He grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed. "Can we take a moment?" He whispered, hoping Harry heard. He had, thankfully, and he stood, excusing them, before leading Louis into the hallway. 

 

"What's wrong?" He asked when they were alone. "Are you okay?" 

 

"It's just - " Louis struggled to find the word. "Overwhelming." He finally settled with. 

 

Harry's brow furrowed. "I know you don't like talking about me dying, but it could happen, and I want you to know that you and the kids will be taken care of long after I'm gone." 

 

"It's not that." Louis shrugged. "I just didn't realize how much money you had - " 

 

" _We have_ ," Harry interrupted. 

 

"- And it just got to be too much." He finished. "Eighty four million pounds in the past five years? What does that even mean?" 

 

"It means that he'll look over our bank statement and leave all of that money to you." Harry explained. "The kids have their own separate trust funds, to be used  _only_ when they hit eighteen, and  _only_ for university." 

 

"How much are they?" He dared to ask. "And what if they don't want to go to university? What if Archie wants to grow a beard and travel the world out of school?" 

 

"Let's just plant the idea of university in their minds and see if it grows." Harry suggested, really not too fond of his children forfeiting university to travel. There would be plenty of time for that after a decent schooling. "And right now, each child is set to inherit ten million pounds." 

 

Louis' eyebrows nearly shot off of his forehead. "Ten million pounds?" He shrieked, thankful that they were in an empty waiting room. 

 

"Shh," Harry stepped even closer. "Yes, ten million pounds. Do you not want them to inherit that much?" 

 

Shaking his head, Louis sighed. "It's not that. They're responsible, but it scares me to send an eighteen year old child off into the world with a ten million pound inheritance." 

 

"I understand." Harry rubbed his arms. "But they're smart. They're responsible, and they're good kids. I can't see them blowing it all on drugs and prostitutes." 

 

Louis glared at him. 

 

"Anyway," Harry changed the subject. "Let's go back inside so we can finish. And when we're done, Daddy just might take you shopping." He winked, knowing full well that Louis could never say no to a shopping trip and Harry's undivided attention. 

 

-

 

After their appointment with their lawyer was over, and they'd stopped for some Chinese food, they were headed home. Louis put the warm bag of takeaway on the floor of the car and looked at his hands, which were now sticky with something red. 

 

"I think something in the bag was open," He said, wrinkling his nose. He reached forward and opened the glove compartment, looking for a wet wipe or a napkin. Instead, out tumbled a pack of cigarettes, barely hidden and half empty. "Harry, what the fuck are these?" 

 

Harry glanced over for a brief second before turning his eyes back to the road. "Nothing." He finally answered. 

 

"Nothing?" Louis shrilled, waving the pack around. "Harry, you have cigarettes in here! What are you doing smoking?" 

 

"It's not a big deal." Harry reached over to grab the pack, but Louis was quicker than he was, and held the package away. "I don't smoke all the time. Just one when I get stressed." 

 

"Just one when you get stressed," Louis mocked. He opened the pack to confirm, and Harry was right; there were only two missing. "Still. I don't want the kids to see these and think it's okay to smoke." 

 

"They won't see them." Harry promised. "Now put them back. I'll get rid of them." 

 

"No, I'm going to get rid of them now." Louis decided, pulling every individual stick out and breaking it. 

 

"Don't get fucking ash in my car!" Harry scowled, glancing over at Louis every few seconds. 

 

"Don't smoke then." Was Louis' reply. When each cigarette was broken up, he poured them back into the box and sat it on the dash. "You'll be throwing those out when we get home."

 

"Why me?" 

 

"Because they're your stupid cigarette's." Louis crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat. "I can't believe you smoke." 

 

" _Smoked_ ," Harry corrected, turning onto their street. "And it was two, a few weeks ago. I told you that I only do it when I get stressed." 

 

"Yeah, and you know what I do when I get stressed?" Louis turned in his seat to face Harry. "I take a bath or eat cake or something. I don't take a risk on giving myself lung cancer."

 

Harry pulled into their drive and parked the car with a sigh. "You're being a bit dramatic." He finally said. 

 

The look that appeared on Louis' face only proved Harry's point. "Oh?" He asked, grabbing the bag of takeaway and opening his door. "Dramatic? Well, how's this for dramatic: you can count on  _not_ getting laid tonight." 

 

With that, he exited the car and slammed the door shut. Harry watched him go with an exasperated sigh, but even with as tired and frustrated with his spouse as he was, he sure didn't miss staring at Louis' bum as he stormed inside. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really not my best! i apologize, but anyone with tooth pain would know how i feel.
> 
> i bit the bullet and made a root canal appointment so...yikes for me!


	69. Chapter 69

It was true that Harry never knew what to expect when he entered his house after a busy day; he just knew that it would get busier. Sometimes, he'd walk in on total chaos, with naked babies running around and toys scattered everywhere, Louis holed up in the laundry room, praying for bedtime whilst simultaneously trying to pull the cork out of a wine bottle. Sometimes he'd walk in on a spotless house and his children watching the telly. On a few good occasions, he'd walk in on the love of his life waiting for him, wearing something sinful, ready to play. 

 

So of all the things he'd walked in on before, his sister standing in his den, next to his lover, was not something he'd ever thought of. He stood silent in the doorway, watching as Louis pointed to the ceiling. There, in the corner, was a minuscule crack, surrounded by a bit of water damage. Louis was frowning and his sister was nodding. 

 

Happy screams came from the backyard, and he turned his attention to the French doors. He saw his children running around, along with two blonde little girls, wearing dirty dresses and getting absolutely dirty from the roughhousing. 

 

The screams also caught Louis' attention, and he turned, catching Harry's eye. His frown disappeared and he grinned, heading towards his husband, arms open wide. "Harry!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Harry's middle. Harry, out of sheer habit, wrapped his own arms around Louis' smaller form. 

 

"Hello, dove." He greeted, unable to pull his gaze from his sister. She looked nervous, and  _good_. She should be nervous. She should have thought twice before coming over.  _Hadn't he made himself clear?_

 

Pulling back, Louis turned and pointed to the crack in the ceiling. "Look," He pulled Harry directly under it. "Do you think it's because we're renovating the attic? This is where our bathroom is going to be." 

 

Harry studied the flaw with an upturned lip.  _Dammit._ "It might be. I'll have to call the contractors, love." 

 

"When?" Louis blinked. 

 

"Right now," Harry promised. He knew that Louis would bug him about it until he actually did it, and to be honest, it was something that he himself wanted done right away, as well. He didn't want his family to live in a house with compromised plumbing. 

 

"Great! I love you." Louis rocked up onto his tiptoes and kissed Harry's cheek. "Meanwhile, Gems and I are going to sit out on the deck and watch our hellions - er, I mean  _children_ \- play." He gave her a wink and she giggled. Harry couldn't stand to hear the laughter coming from his sister, because he hadn't heard it in  _years_ and it still sounded the same. 

 

"Want me to start on dinner?" Harry asked, not letting Louis go quite yet. He wrapped his long fingers around the delicate, bracelet adorned wrist of his lover and tugged him closer. 

 

"Actually," Louis tossed his thumb over his shoulder, turning to glance at Gemma, who was standing back awkwardly. "Gems and I were going to make something. Fajitas." 

 

Harry cocked a brow. "Margarita Monday?" He asked knowingly. 

 

"Margarita Monday." Louis confirmed, grinning. He let his free hand toy with the top button on Harry's shirt. "I'm going to get you all liquored up and  _then_..." He left the sentence open, with Harry knowing full well what he meant. 

 

"I like the sound of that. Want me to get anything started?" He offered. "Or head straight upstairs and call the contractor?" 

 

"The contractor." Louis requested. "The last thing I need is for my living room ceiling to cave in on my family." 

 

Harry wanted to roll his eyes at Louis' antics, but he'd be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Louis' lips, gave him a pat on the bum, and turned away, already dialing the contractors number. 

 

-

 

Two hours later, the kids were inside, eyes glued to the television set, Harry had made an appointment for the contractors, and Louis and Gemma were laughing in the kitchen. Louis liked to drink a little while he cooked, especially when there was company, so his laughs were the loudest. Gemma couldn't drink but still her laughter rang almost as loud as Louis'. 

 

Harry checked in on the kids before heading to the kitchen. He was greeted by delicious smells and had a margarita thrust into his hands by a giggling Louis. 

 

"Almost ready?" He asked, sitting on a barstool. 

 

"Almost." Gemma answered. 

 

"I didn't ask you." He answered, unable to stop himself from snapping. 

 

"Harry!" Louis sent him a look. "Sorry, Gemma, he's - " 

 

"Don't apologize for me." Harry interrupted. "I meant what I said. If I was talking to her, I would have addressed her." 

 

"You didn't address me." Louis sassed, raising his eyebrows. He glared at Harry over the stove top of sizzling fajitas. 

 

"After ten years of marriage, I didn't think I had to." Harry shot. 

 

"If I'm going to cause you two to fight, I think I'd better go." Gemma stepped away from the counters, hands up. 

 

"That'd be great." Harry raised his glass. 

 

"No, Gemma, you stay. Harry is just being mean and I don't know why." This time, Louis sent Harry a pleading look. He really wanted Gemma to feel welcome, because they were all family. 

 

"Tell me,  _Gems_ ," Harry's voice was hateful, and he stared at his sister. "Does Mum know you're home?" 

 

Louis let his spatula fall to the counter. "Harry," He sighed. 

 

"No, Harry, she doesn't." Gemma answered, head held high. Harry's rude words didn't bother her as much as they should, because she knew that he was hurting, and rightfully so. If he wanted to lash out, so be it. She deserved it. 

 

" _Harry_ ," Louis rounded the counter and slid his hand up and down Harry's arm. "Love. We can all talk after dinner, but for right now, why don't you go talk to Bean? He's very nervous about his upcoming footie game. I promised him that you would help him out." 

 

Harry looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't want to risk one of the kids overhearing. He nodded and stood, squeezing Louis' hand.  He cut his eyes to Gemma before fully leaving the room. When he was gone, Louis turned to Gemma, ready to apologize, but she stopped him. 

 

"Don't worry about it." She shook her head. "I understand why he's so hateful to me. I can't say that I blame him."

 

"He's your brother." Louis didn't understand how Gemma was being so...casual about it. If he had a brother or sister that treated him the way Harry was treating Gemma, he'd be heartbroken. 

 

"I know." Gemma nodded. "Hand me the seasonings?" She requested, continuing only when Louis handed the few jars over to her. As she sprinkled the seasonings in the food, giving it the extra kick of flavor, she spoke. "What I did to him was inexcusable. I didn't see it then, but I do now. I wasn't there for him, and I'm paying for it now." 

 

Louis studied her. Though she seemed to be fine with everything, he could tell otherwise. She was hurting. He felt the overwhelming need to make everything right. He wanted to spend holidays with Gemma and her family. He wanted them to have playdates and he wanted to take his girls and her's to the ballet, the movies, ice skating. 

 

"Still, he shouldn't be so mean." He reached for a cleaned head of lettuce and a knife. While they had an array of toppings, the kids preferred taco salads, claiming the fajitas were too hot. 

 

"Did you make the guacamole?" Gemma asked, looking around. 

 

Louis nodded and kept chopping. "Yes, it's next to the pico de gallo in the refrigerator. And don't change the subject." 

 

Gemma paused at the fridge. With a small smile, she shook her head and reached for the food. "You're pushy." She said. "Now I know why Harry loves you so much." 

 

"Harry loves me because I'm great." Louis shrugged, pursing his lips. 

 

"I'm sure that's a big part of it." She agreed, placing the food on the table. In the middle, there was a basket of tortilla chips, and bowls of salsa. Margarita Monday was Louis' favorite day of the week, and he went all out, trying and finding new recipes to make for the occasion. "But you're...I don't know. Honest. Mature. You don't take any shit from him." 

 

"And he does try some shit." Louis pointed at her with the knife in his hand. "Believe me." 

 

"I'm so incredibly happy he's found you." Gemma walked past him, rubbing his back in passing. "You two compliment each other; you keep each other grounded." 

 

"I'll be completely honest with you, Gemma, because you deserve it." He sat the knife down and faced her. He worried for a brief moment that Harry would get angry with him, but he shoved the feeling down. Gemma was part of his family, and she deserved to know. "Harry and I haven't always been good. We were actually going through the divorce process a few years ago." 

 

She gasped, as was expected. "You two are..." She began. Somehow, she couldn't believe that Harry and Louis' seemingly perfect relationship was anything but. 

 

"I know. We love each other so much now. We did before, but we didn't focus enough on each other or our marriage. We both made mistakes. I love Harry with my whole entire being, but I was the one who actually filed for divorce." 

 

"You two didn't go through with it, obviously. What changed?" She probed. She knew she had no right to ask, but curiosity got the best of her. Somehow, this flaw made her feel a little bit better. 

 

"Believe it or not," Louis began laughing. "I got pregnant right in the heat of the divorce. Harry and I went out with our friends Niall and Liam, and of  _course_ , we fought and got drunk, so naturally we...procreated. Completely on accident but Harry loved the baby from the get go." 

 

"Harry's always loved babies. I know when he was little, he would express that he never wanted any of his own. I'm glad he changed his mind." 

 

"I think that  _I_ actually changed his mind for him. Bean was a little surprise, and it really put stress on our relationship. We had only been matched for a month when I found out I was pregnant. But when Bean was born, Harry was hooked. After that, we had a hard time stopping." 

 

"I'm glad everything worked out. I can imagine that Harry called off the divorce pretty quickly once he was told you were pregnant." 

 

"Actually," Louis looked up at her. "We were at the tail end of it before we called it off. I was at least twenty weeks pregnant." 

 

Gemma's eyes grew wide. "What?" 

 

Nodding his head, Louis carried the cooked meat over to the table and sat it down in the middle. He placed tortillas next to it and had Gemma bring over everything else. 

 

"The twins were a very complicated birth. There was a high chance that the babies and I wouldn't make it, but we did, thank God, and every pregnancy after that had it's own difficulties. Archie - " He turned and pointed through the kitchen doors. " - was the one I was pregnant with. The little bugger, I love him to death, but he gave me quite the fright." 

 

"I had no idea." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a comforting manner. 

 

"If you think Harry is bad now, you should have seen him when I was pregnant. He was so tense and uptight it was hilarious." Louis giggled, which made Gemma giggle. "He was awful, but he was so great. I wouldn't trade him for the world." 

 

"I understand." Gemma nodded. 

 

"Gemma," Louis faced her, now serious. "Harry will take some time. I guess what I'm asking, is please don't give up on him just yet. He loves you with his whole heart, I know he does. It'll take him awhile to admit it, but when he does, he'll let you know everyday." 

 

-

 

Dinner was a loud, boisterous affair, and Louis wouldn't have it any other way. Gemma and Matt fit right in, as well as Esme and Eden. Bella and Olivia couldn't get enough of their cousins, and they were already making plans for exclusive tea parties. 

 

Harry sat at the head of the table, as he always did, and observed, as he always did. He hadn't said a single word to either Gemma or Matt, but he would speak to the girls, and honestly, Louis thought that it was a little better than speaking to his sister and brother-in-law. 

 

"How are you two liking London?" Louis asked, mainly towards Matt, who was born and raised in the United States. 

 

"This is my first time out of the country," Matt answered, smiling. "And I love it. I can see why Gemma wants to move back so badly." 

 

Harry stiffened, and underneath the table, Louis grabbed his hand and squeezed. 

 

"There are other reasons." Gemma reminded Matt playfully. "But I can't believe how much I've missed London." She looked over at Harry. "How much I've missed my family." 

 

While Louis smiled and thought it was sweet, he still squeezed Harry's hand harder, sending him a little warning not to say anything that would hurt Gemma and be something he would later regret. 

 

Harry said nothing. 

 

"The kids are certainly getting along." Louis noted, nodding over to where Eden was sharing a bowl of guacamole with Theo and Esme was helping Archie safely apply some sauce to his bowl of food. 

 

"After they met, all Eden and Esme could talk about was coming back here to play with their cousins." Matt began creating another fajita while he spoke. "I think Eden and Esme want Olivia and Bella to stay the night at the hotel with them one night." 

 

"That sounds good to me." Louis turned to Harry. "What do you think, love?" 

 

Harry grunted and glared. "Does it matter what I think?" 

 

Louis laughed stiffly, turning back to Gemma and Matt. "He's kidding. What night were you all thinking?" 

 

Gemma looked at Matt as she answered. "How about tonight? We don't have anything to do tomorrow." 

 

"We might." Harry snipped. 

 

"We don't." Louis spoke over him. He smiled nervously. "I think they'll enjoy a night with their cousins. And hey, Eden and Esme are more than welcome to stay here whenever they want." 

 

"That sounds great." Matt appreciated how welcoming Louis was. Despite how Harry felt about him and his family, Louis was making up for it. "I'm glad it's summer vacation. They'll have plenty of time to spend together. By the way, Louis, this food is amazing. You're a very good cook." 

 

"Thank you!" Louis beamed. "Fajitas are one of my favorite foods, but I must admit," He looked at Harry lovingly, finally drawing a smile from the cold man. "Harry is better at making them than I am." 

 

"Nonsense." Harry pulled their clasped hands to his lips and kissed the back of Louis'. "You're perfect." 

 

Louis, still beaming, shook his head. "Whatever you say." He was blushing, he knew he was, but he couldn't help it. "Now," He said, addressing the table. "Let's finish before everything gets cold." 

 

-

 

Later that evening, when the food was put away, the guests were gone, and the kids were in bed, Louis headed up to bed. Harry was already in their room, probably taking a shower, and he was so ready to fall in bed and sleep next to his husband. After checking up on each individual child, minus the two girls, he made his way into his and Harry's bedroom and closed the door. 

 

As expected, Harry was in the bathroom, but the shower wasn't going. He was going to leave it alone, but as he headed to his closet to change his clothes, he heard a quiet sniffle. He stopped, dread prickling his fingertips. He recognized that sound. He hadn't heard it but a few times during their whole marriage, but it was still heartbreaking. 

 

Harry was crying. 

 

He headed to the bathroom door and knocked quietly. "Harry?" He asked, cracking the door open. The light above the shower was the only one that was on, and it created a dim glow throughout the room. As his eyes adjusted, he spotted Harry sitting on the closed toilet lid. His shirt and pants were off, as if he was preparing to take a shower, but his shoulders were shaking. 

 

"Harry..." Louis stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He sank to his knees in front of Harry and pulled the hands away from his face. Before he could ask, or even see Harry's face, he was pulled into a hug, and Harry shoved his face into Louis' neck. 

 

"Baby, what's wrong?" Louis asked, rubbing his back. 

 

"I don't hate her." Harry croaked into his neck. 

 

"Gemma?" Louis asked. 

 

"I  _don't_." Harry insisted. "I hate what she's done but I don't hate her. I  _miss_ her." 

 

Scratching his fingers through Harry's hair, he said, "She's here, though. Call her." 

 

A shiver went down Harry's spine, and he gave a small jolt in Louis' arms. Goosebumps littered his skin. "I can't." 

 

"Harry..." Louis squeezed Harry tighter. "Let's get you into the shower. I'll take it with you, okay? Or how about a bath? We can sit together in the hot water and talk." 

 

Harry seemed to like that idea, and he pulled back, wiping his eyes. He stood, grasping Louis' hand, and let himself be led over to the bathtub. Once there, he plastered himself to Louis' back, feeling quite clingy. 

 

"I spoke to the girls earlier." Louis made conversation as he turned on the hot water and added bubbles and bath salts. "They were just ordering room service, and Gemma and Matt allowed them all  _two_ desserts. They're living the life." 

 

Harry didn't say anything, but it didn't bother Louis. He kept speaking as the bath filled up, and he managed to strip himself around Harry's grasp. Harry stepped into the bath first, barely wincing at the hot water, and when he sat, Louis climbed in and made himself comfortable on Harry's lap. 

 

It was so nice, being wrapped up in each other. They didn't have to say anything, especially since Harry didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it. They just sat in silence, letting the water relax them. The longer they sat there, the sleepier they got. 

 

Just as Louis' eyes slipped shut, fully relaxed, he heard Harry whisper, "I'm so tired of hating her. I just want to forget all about it." 

 

It woke him up enough just to pull back and give Harry a reassuring kiss. Things would work out. Harry would call Gemma tomorrow, and they would put the past behind them. 


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ringing in 2018 with chapter SEVENTY. i love you all.

"Harry," Louis called as he entered their home. He dropped his bag onto the table and slipped his shoes off of his feet. They were planning on taking their camping vacation soon, and Louis had gone shopping for it while Harry was on a business call and the kids were on play dates. He walked down the hallway and called out, "I've gone to three different shops looking for a pink tent and honestly, I am so done with this vacation already. I'm ready to take a bath and to be fucked. Please get your cock out and ready - " 

 

He stopped suddenly when he entered the kitchen. Eyes growing wide and cheeks red, he surveyed Gemma sitting at the table with a glass of water in front of her, and Harry leaning back in his chair, several feet away from her, arms crossed over his chest. 

 

"Uhhhh," He shifted from one foot to the other. "Well. Gemma, I'm sorry you heard me mention Harry's - " 

 

Gemma held her hand up, a small smile on her face. "Don't finish. Hearing it once is enough." She shook her head, and sipped her water. Harry, on the other hand, stood and crossed the room, planting a kiss onto his cheek. 

 

"Hullo, love." He greeted. His eyes were sparkling, probably from Louis' mentioning of getting fucked. "You were saying?" 

 

Louis hit Harry's stomach gently and then wound his hands around Harry's hips. "Oh, God. Not in front of your sister. We'll... _discuss_ it later." He winked up at his husband. 

 

Harry tsk'd and shook his head. "Not what I meant, darling. Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about the pink tent situation." His actions contradicted his words, as he slid a hand down Louis' back and squeezed a firm arse cheek. 

 

Groaning, Louis stepped away from Harry and headed to the fridge. Pulling out a bottle of water, he snapped the lid off and began telling the horror story that was his day. "These shops,  _made_ for camping and such, carried all sorts of tents. Cabin tents, tents for ten people, tents with fucking rooms, mind you. They even sold tents with cartoon characters on them, but no pink tents. Can you believe it?" 

 

"Why a pink tent?" Gemma asked. 

 

"Because Olivia and Bella refuse to vacation with us unless they have a pink tent." Louis rolled his eyes. He loved his girls, but honestly, they were a bit hard to get along with. "We'd be safer if we just left them here." 

 

"If they don't want to go, they can stay with Matt and I." Gemma offered, standing. She rubbed at her back, and Louis remembered that she was pregnant. "We've been looking at houses, and depending on when you all go camping, we might be in one." 

 

"We were thinking towards the end of summer, maybe the beginning of August." Louis replied, turning to rifle through the cabinets. He was starving. Maybe if he asked nicely, Harry would make him something to eat. 

 

"How on earth are you going to find and close on a house in two months?" Harry asked, and Louis stopped and turned quickly, staring at his husband. Harry had just voluntarily spoken to his estranged sister, and he wasn't being cruel or mocking. He asked out of genuine curiosity. Harry noticed and stuck his tongue out, which prompted him to stick his tongue out. Oh well. He'd ask about it later. 

 

"We've had our eyes on one for awhile," Gemma answered. "Would paperwork take two months?" 

 

Harry shrugged. "It really depends." 

 

Gemma raised a brow. "On?" 

 

"On who you are, the money you have, if you have to take out a loan." Harry explained. 

 

"Have Harry do it for you all. He's scary." Louis let Gemma know, leaning with his elbows on the counter. "And he's a big name dropper. Always saying his first and last name when he wants something." 

 

"I am not!" Harry gasped, affronted. He wound his arms around Louis from behind and bit his shoulder. It only made Louis squirm, purposely grinding his arse into Harry's crotch. It only made Harry hold onto tighter. "I just know what I want and how to get it." 

 

At the last part, his voice was husky and his breath was heavy, and it sent shivers down Louis' spine. He knew what that voice was and what it meant, and it made him  _really_ want to be bent over the counter. 

 

"Okay," Gemma threw her hands up. "I'm out. You two can have sex all you want now. I've got to go get dinner." She headed out, calling as she went, "I'll call you tomorrow, Louis!" 

 

"Bye!" He called after her, and when the front door closed, Harry swiveled him around and captured his mouth. They spent a few moments snogging before Louis had an idea. He pulled away from Harry with a wet smack and blinked up at him excitedly. 

 

"I am rock hard." Harry deadpanned. "Don't make me chase you." 

 

"No, no," Waving his hands, Louis peeked down at Harry's trousers. He was, in fact, rock hard. "We'll get to that. Promise. But I have an idea!" 

 

"Does it involve your arse and my cock?" Harry sighed. "Because if not, I don't want to hear it." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "You have a one track mind when you're horny. We'll fuck in a minute. But listen, what if we let Gemma and Matt buy Zayn and Perrie's house?" 

 

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so, love. I thought we were willing it to Bella when she turned eighteen?" 

 

"We could." Louis nodded. "Or we could sell it and put the money away for her. It's a win-win. Gemma and Matt will be within walking distance, there's a great school, and it's not like the twins won't know anyone. Their cousins will be right there with them." 

 

Sighing, Harry rounded the kitchen island and sat down onto a stool. "Baby, I don't know. Are you sure you want to sell it? You could hardly go inside of it after the accident. I had to hold you while you cried in their closet." 

 

"I know. Thank you. Love you." Louis blew him a kiss. "But it's been a few years. We're paying a maid to clean it every two weeks and a gardener to maintain the lawn. It seems like such a waste, especially if we have someone who might be interested." 

 

"We don't know if they're interested." Harry reminded him. 

 

"It's two stories, four bedrooms, three baths, big kitchen, den, laundry room, great yard - " Louis rattled on, ticking off everything he said onto his fingers. 

 

"I get it." Harry interrupted him. Then, he sighed. "You can call Gemma and ask her if she'd like to view it. And we'll have to come up with a price to tell them if they decide to talk it over." 

 

"How much did Zayn and Perrie buy it for?" Louis asked, opening the cabinets once more to rifle through them. 

 

"I'll have to look at all of the paperwork I have on it." Harry answered, watching him. "Do you want me to make you something? You've been pilfering through those cabinets and it's bugging me." 

 

Louis abandoned the open cabinet doors and draped himself over a bar stool. "You finally got the hint." He exclaimed dramatically. "Sure, if you want to make me something. Not a whole lot, though, please. I'm making a big dinner." 

 

"I have a better idea." Harry proposed, closing all of the open cabinet doors. "What if you go and take a bath," He pressed his open palms onto the counter in front of Louis and leaned forward, smirking. "And I'll make dinner." 

 

Louis liked the sound of that. He raised a brow and leaned back, crossing his arms. "You're not going to need help? It's a big dinner, love. I'm talking appetizer, main course, dessert." 

 

"I'm up for the challenge." Harry winked. "It's what I said our wedding day." 

 

"Fucker." Louis rolled his eyes and hopped down from the stool. He walked until he was standing in front of Harry, and he slid his hands up and down his chest. "How about we cook dinner together, and then we can take a bath together?" 

 

Harry hummed, pulling his little spouse closer, which was almost impossible. "I like the sound of that. How do you always have the best ideas?" 

 

Shrugging, Louis stepped away, tossing a teasing look behind him. "I'll never reveal my secret. Now, let's get cooking." 

 

-

 

"You've got to actually put these  _in_ the chicken," Louis instructed, handing Harry the pile of fresh herbs. "And then you've got to rub this all over it." 

 

"I know, love." Harry replied, patiently. He took the herbs and sat them to the side. "Why don't you see how the salad is doing?" 

 

Louis fixed him with a dry look. "It isn't made yet." He said. "Because it's the last thing that needs to be done." 

 

"That was a hint." Harry winked down at him, reaching forward to poke his button nose. It wrinkled under his touch and he smiled. 

 

"You stress me out." Louis rolled his eyes. "I'm going to make the herb butter and check on the bread. When I come back over, I want to see that bird stuffed." 

 

"You're going to be the one stuffed later." Harry said lewdly. 

 

"You're vile." Louis huffed, walking away. He hummed to himself as he made the butter Harry was going to rub on the chicken and as he checked the bread. He danced a little bit around the kitchen, bumping Harry with his hip as he walked by. 

 

"Keep doing that and I'll have to do something drastic." Harry commented, smearing the butter Louis handed him all over the chicken. He made sure that every part was covered and slid it into the oven. 

 

"Oh yeah?" Louis challenged, pausing. He grinned when Harry washed his hands in the sink and turned to face him. He knew what was coming. 

 

"Yeah." Harry nodded, stalking towards him. He was embraced and dipped deep, with Harry kissing his mouth as if he needed the oxygen in Louis' body to breathe for himself. When they were upright after a few breathless moments, his mind was dizzy and he staggered in Harry's arms. 

 

"You'd better bring that to the bedroom later." Louis' voice was breathy; his eyes hazy and full of lust. 

 

Harry nodded and raked a hand through his hair. It mussed it up in the perfect way. "You bet. I'm going to fuck you so hard that you won't be able to form coherent sentences." He promised, and Louis could only nod. Harry  _always_ delivered on his promises. 

 

-

 

"Harry, I forgot to tell you," Louis said an hour and a half later, cutting up a piece of chicken for Archie. "Gemma texted me. She said she and Matt had an appointment to view a house tomorrow. Can we tell her to come and look and Zayn and Perrie's place?" 

 

Harry leaned back in his seat, chewing slowly as he thought it over. He had to admit, it was a good idea, especially since he and his sister were still working on their relationship. But the hurt from Zayn and Perrie's deaths still stung a bit, and they were planning to leave the house to Bella. 

 

"Harry?" Louis broke through his thoughts, looking at him from across the table, eyebrow raised. He had a fork and knife poised over Archie's plate. "We can set the money aside for Bella. What teenager wants a house next to their parents?" 

 

He swallowed, and then answered, "Technically, it's not next to ours." He said. At the exasperated look he got from Louis, he tacked on with a smile, "And I've thought of an amount. Yes, you can text her." 

 

Louis squealed, finished cutting up the chicken for Archie, and pulled his phone out. After a few keyboard clicks, and the little  _swoosh_ of the message sending, he sat his phone down and beamed at Harry. "I love you." 

 

With a wink, Harry replied, "I love you, doll baby." 

 

"Excuse me," Bella interrupted, staring up at her parents. With her bright blue eyes and long dark hair, she was the perfect combination of Zayn and Perrie. 

 

"Yes, dear?" Harry asked. 

 

"I heard my name." She said, picking at her food. Louis caught on. 

 

"Bella, we eat our food in this house." He raised his eyebrows, pointing his fork at her. 

 

"Yes, mum." Bella sighed, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork. 

 

"And yes, you did hear your name, lovey." Harry confirmed. "Your mum and I were talking about something very important, and how it will affect you later in life." 

 

"Can I know now?" Bella asked, with hopeful eyes. 

 

Harry and Louis exchanged looks across the table, and Harry shook his head. "When you're older, sweetheart. Now, how about we talk about this vacation of ours? Girls, it seems that mummy can't find a pink tent anywhere." 

 

"That's okay!" Olivia chimed in, grinning. "Bells and I don't want a pink tent anymore." 

 

When Bella shook her head, confirming Olivia's statement, Louis sighed in relief. Really, it was difficult to find a pink tent in any store in London. He supposed he could look online, but it was honestly a relief to not have to search anymore. 

 

"Perfect, loves. Now, eat your food. I want to see empty plates." Louis instructed, giving his girls a look of no-nonsense. They weren't as picky as they used to be, but they still liked to leave a full plate every now and then. They complied, and began to eat in earnest. He suspected that they didn't eat as much at lunch as they should have. 

 

"Let me know when you call Gemma." Harry requested. He pushed the butter dish towards Lucas, who was reaching for it, and handed him a butter knife. "Careful," He warned. 

 

"I will, Daddy." Lucas promised, spreading the butter across his bread. He ate a  _lot_ , especially carbs. He was a dancer, and though his body was lithe and athletic, he had the appetite of a footie player. He was always hungry, because he was constantly burning his calories doing his ballet. 

 

"Bean, have you decided if you're going to continue footie?" Harry asked. It was a question he asked his firstborn every summer, and every summer, the answer was the same. But this year, instead of nodding his head, Bean shook it, surprising Harry. 

 

"I think I want to go a different route." Bean answered glumly, letting his fork slap the mound of mashed potatoes he'd formed. 

 

Louis caught onto Bean's demeanor and leaned forward. "Baby? Why do you sound so sad?" 

 

Shrugging, Bean sat his fork down. "I don't want to stop playing footie, but I also want to try rugby. I'm not sure what I want to do." 

 

"Baby, if you don't want to stop playing footie, then don't stop. Once you commit to rugby or lacrosse, it'll be really hard for you to change to footie, especially once practice ends and the games start." Harry said. 

 

"Beanie, how about you and Daddy try rugby in the backyard? If you like it better than footie, then you can sign up for it. If you don't try, you won't know." Louis suggested, pulling Atty out of his bouncer and into his lap. At almost a year, the boy was already a wild one. Crawling, standing, trying his best to walk but struggling on his little chubby legs. What he lacked in movement, he made up for in sound. He was a noisy little boy, and made his presence known everywhere. 

 

Harry lit up. "That's a great idea, love!" He looked at Bean. "What do you say? I promise to go easy on you." He nudged Bean with a wink, and it made the boy smile. 

 

"I'm sure  _you'll_ be the one going easy on  _me._ " He fired back with a dimply grin. After that, his appetite came back, and he picked his fork up again and began to clear his plate. Just like Lucas, he had a healthy appetite. 

 

Harry made a delighted face at his sons 'trash talk' and grinned across the table at Louis. "It seems our son thinks he can beat me at rugby." 

 

"I for one can't wait to see him do it." Louis smiled at Bean, winking. It made Bean giggle into his plate. "Now, let's eat so we can plan this vacation of ours." 

 

-

 

Later that night, while Harry was fast asleep, Louis was laying next to him, staring at the ceiling. As soon as his head hit the pillow, all sorts of ideas popped into his head. About Zayn and Perrie's house, about all sorts of houses actually, and living next door to Gemma and Matt. How the girls would react, finding out that their only cousins lived in the same neighborhood, how undoubtedly excited they would be. How  _all_ his children would be. 

 

He sighed and rolled to his side, coming face to face with his lovely, sleeping dominant. He poked Harry's bare bicep, ignoring the urge to grasp the strong arms and make his bed inside of Harry's arms. 

 

"Harry," He whispered, watching as Harry's eyes fluttered, but didn't open. "Harry," He tried again, and at that, Harry did open his eyes, heavy with sleep and confusion. 

 

"Wha'?" He asked, sighing. He rolled onto his back and pulled Louis into his side. "What's going on?" 

 

"I have an idea." He said, rubbing Harry's bare belly. He felt the abdominal muscles jump under his hand. 

 

"Tell me, baby." Harry prompted, eyes closed. 

 

"What if we gave Zayn and Perrie's house to Gemma and Matt?" He suggested. He felt Harry's breathing stutter. 

 

"I am  _not_ giving away a two-point-six million pound house away for  _free_ , Louis." Was Harry's incredulous response. "I'll give it away for a million, but not for free." 

 

Louis shrugged. It was worth a shot, and he really couldn't expect Harry to give that house away for free. So, he stated his next idea. "Well, how about you and Liam invest in real estate?" 

 

"We're already in real estate, baby." Harry reminded him, stretching his body. In doing so, he squeezed Louis closer. "Remember? We invest in failing businesses." 

 

"Yes, but that's not buying them. What if we -  _you_ \- bought abandoned buildings?" He stared at Harry, watching the little facial ticks and jumps in his gorgeous husband. 

 

"And do what with them?" Harry hummed, opening his eyes. He rolled over until they were face to face again. "Keep them until they fall in?" 

 

Giggling, Louis shook his head. "No, maybe...transform them? There are a lot of homeless people in London. Maybe we can start there?" 

 

Louis didn't know what to expect, maybe a shake of the head or a firm _no_ , but he wasn't expecting the grin that took over Harry's face, or one of Harry's hands slipping into his own. He knew it was a good idea from the way Harry was looking at him. 

 

"Baby," Harry cooed, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose. "That's a brilliant idea." 

 

"Really?" He was sure his eyes were sparkling. 

 

Harry nodded and squeezed his hand. "It is, doll baby." Harry nodded. "It's amazing. You're amazing for thinking that." 

 

Louis shrugged, being modest. "I was just thinking about Gemma and Matt moving into the neighborhood, and I guess the thought spiraled." 

 

Kissing his nose again, Harry pulled him close and made sure the blankets were covering them. "I'm going to talk to Liam about it tomorrow. We'll look into the market and see what types of buildings are abandoned or for sale and then check the neighborhoods with the most homeless population." 

 

"Let me know what he says." Louis snuggled into Harry's chest and closed his eyes. Now that he'd spoken his mind, it cleared up and he was tired. 

 

"Oh, maybe you misunderstood me," Harry laughed in his ear. "You're going to be there as well. This is your project, little love. And I'm going to be right by your side." 


	71. Chapter 71

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is long! you all deserve it!!!!

"Did we get all of the tent supplies?" Louis asked Harry, looking down at his lengthy checklist. It spanned the front and backs of two legal pad pages. He wanted to be extra thorough, as their week in the woods was going to be a long one, and probably difficult. And probably wouldn't last an entire week. 

 

Harry stepped over the bags they had in the foyer and unzipped one. "Yes." He confirmed, zipping it back up. 

 

Louis nodded. He scanned his checklist. "What about the first aid kit?" 

 

Harry planted his hands on his hips and surveyed the bags. When he spotted the red one with the white cross, he nodded. "Yes." 

 

"Flashlights and batteries?" 

 

"Yes." 

 

"Cooking utensils?" 

 

"In the car." 

 

"Toilet paper?"

 

"Mhm." 

 

Louis listed off every single other item he had written down and was met with a confirmation from Harry. He wanted to read it again and have Harry double check, but the kids were going stir crazy and it was a three hour drive from their house to the campsite they had selected. So, he put the legal pad down and looked over at Harry, who was surrounded by camping gear. 

 

"Condoms?" He asked with a knowing grin. 

 

Harry maneuvered around the whole mess and walked until he was standing in front of his little lover. Wrapping his arms around Louis' waist, he answered, "Oh, baby. We don't need those anymore. I can come inside of you all I want." 

 

Louis grinned, but put two fingers on Harry's chest and pushed him back a little. "Just because you can, doesn't mean I want to spend an entire week with your come dripping out of my arse." 

 

Harry licked his lips slowly, while keeping steady eye contact. He knew exactly what he was doing. "Oh, I don't plan on having it stay  _in_ you for very long." 

 

"Change of plans." Louis giggled, stepping back. "You're staying home." 

 

With a cheeky grin, Harry followed, fingers tickling at Louis' waist. "Then who would I make love to under the stars?" Harry pouted. "You know, I bought our tent  _special._ " 

 

Louis rolled his eyes at Harry's wink and entered the kitchen. The kids were gone, so that meant he could day-drink. He opened the fridge and pulled out a half-empty bottle of wine. Grabbing a glass, he poured it half full and toasted Harry. 

 

"Why don't you use the wine fridge?" Harry leaned across the counter. He folded his hands together, rings clinking together. "I spent a good chunk on the dining room for you. You practically begged me for a new dining room." 

 

Shrugging, he answered with a grin. "Just spoiled, I suppose." 

 

"Very spoiled." Harry agreed. 

 

"When do we leave again?" Louis asked. He was looking forward to the camping trip, but he was also dreading it. Camping was fun with just adults, but camping with eight children? It sounded almost like a nightmare he used to have. 

 

"In two days, my love." Harry answered. He noticed Louis' unenthusiastic nod. "Why? What's up?" 

 

Shrugging again, Louis sat his wine glass down. "I don't know." He answered. "Is it to late to change our vacation into something else?" 

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. "You don't want to go camping?" 

 

"I mean...I do. But I don't. Seven days is a lot to spend with children in the woods. I can't help but think of all the things that could go wrong, and the girls don't really want to go anyway." 

 

Harry nodded. "Okay. Did you have something else in mind?" Surely if Louis had been dreading the camping, he was coming up with alternatives. 

 

"Not really." Louis sighed. "I know it sounds awful, but by the second day, I know we'd both be burned out. The kids will be fighting and you and I will be fighting and we'll end up having to come home early because of it. I just don't want their summer to end like that." 

 

"Well..." Harry thought. "I believe you. I honestly think camping will be a total bust, but the kids wanted to do it. But what if we offered them something else?" 

 

"I'm listening." Louis lifted his glass and took a sip. 

 

"Well, that ballet school Lucas wanted to go to starts in a few days. I'm sure I could pull some strings and get him in. And Bean has been wanting to go to science camp. We could send those two off." Harry suggested. 

 

Louis pondered it. The ballet school that Lucas had been pining over would let him learn with the best ballet teachers as well as the best dancing troupes in the world. And the science camp Bean had wanted to go to offered a special week dedicated to air and space. He would be thrilled. 

 

"What about the other six?" Louis asked. 

 

"We could take the twins and the girls to a theme park or something. Maybe Disney." Harry shrugged. "I think Archie would be too young to enjoy it, and I know that Atty wouldn't like it." 

 

"So we just pawn them off to my parents?" Louis asked. Not that he didn't like the idea...but he would miss his babies too much. 

 

"You make it sound so bad." Harry sighed. "Think of it this way: we're two very tired parents who planned an elaborate vacation for our children, who would all rather do their own thing. We need time for ourselves." 

 

"We can find the time whenever. This is a family vacation." Louis stressed. Panic bubbled in his chest whenever he thought that they weren't being good parents, and this was one of those moments. He tried his hardest to make his children's lives the best. 

 

"Baby, you need to relax." Harry sensed that Louis was worrying. "The kids will be fine." 

 

Louis shook his head. "I'm not so sure, Harry. These are the ages where they need to be with their parents." 

 

Harry watched as Louis opened the cabinets and rifled around. "When are they not with us?" He questioned, leaning his elbows on the counter. 

 

Louis tossed an unimpressed glance behind his shoulder. "That's not the point." 

 

"It is the point." Harry disagreed. "Baby, it's not wrong if we want to take time for ourselves." 

 

Sighing heavily, Louis closed the cabinet doors and pulled open the junk drawer instead. He pulled out a stack of takeout menus and slapped them on the counter. "What do you want for lunch?" 

 

"Whatever you want." 

 

"I want Chinese." Louis pulled the menu out from the stack and opened it. Their order was written on the inside in pen, making it easy for whoever was watching the kids to order. 

 

"Sounds good." 

 

Louis sighed again, and peered up at Harry. "I'm not trying to be difficult." He began. "But you have to understand that I've spent my whole life with my babies. I  _want_ to spend time with them because it's important and I want them to have good memories. But I also want time for myself and time with you, but I think that if we have time to spend with the kids, we should. Am I making any sense?" 

 

Harry nodded slowly. "I see what you're saying baby. But the kids haven't talked about the camping trip in days. Remember how excited they were? And then it just tapered off." He rounded the counter and cornered Louis against them. "How about we ask them when they get home?" 

 

"Your two youngest children are upstairs, why don't you ask them first?" Louis was being cheeky, and he grinned up at Harry. 

 

"Because they're three and eight months old." He answered. "All I'd get is a babble from Atty and Archie would just tell me he loved me over and over again." 

 

"Is there something wrong with your baby telling you he loves you?" Louis arched a brow. "I consider it one of the best things in life, right next to your large cock and my flawless complexion." 

 

Harry suppressed a chuckle. "It's my favorite thing in the world," He agreed. "Next to your arse and flawless complexion." 

 

With a shove, Louis pushed past Harry, expecting fully the slap to the arse Harry gave him. "Honestly." He sighed and shook his head. "You stay in here. I'm going to go cuddle with my two babies. I love them so much." 

 

Harry followed, running his hands up and down Louis' sides, cupping his bum, squeezing at each step Louis took. He really couldn't get enough of it. "Aren't they sleeping? You can't wake a sleeping baby." 

 

"I suppose that's right." Louis paused at the bottom of the stairs. He peeked around his shoulder. "How about we have a nap ourselves? I really could use some good loving." 

 

"Have I not been taking good enough care of you?" Harry asked dryly. 

 

Louis shrugged and continued up the stairs. "Sufficient; needs more practice." He knew what his comment would get him, and sure enough, the pace behind him quickened. Harry was chasing him up the stairs, a determined glint in his eyes. 

 

"We'll see about that." Was the last thing Harry said before scooping him up and throwing him over his shoulders. 

 

-

 

 "Louis, we need to get to the house  _now_!" Harry yelled up the stairs, checking his watch. It was the day they were going to show Gemma and Matt the house they had. It was a difficult decision to make, but one that they both agreed would be the best. 

 

"I'm coming!" Louis hollered back, smoothing a hand over his hair. He looked good, wearing a pair of tight capris and a white shirt. It was a bit dangerous, wearing a white shirt and having eight children, but the majority of them were at their summer activities, and his mum had taken the two youngest. 

 

"Louis!" Harry called again, getting rather impatient. It would look bad if Gemma and Matt got to the house before they did. It wasn't professional. 

 

"Relax," Louis appeared at the top of the stairs, grinning down at Harry. 

 

"You look like the gates of Heaven, baby." Harry said. How lucky was he? Louis was ethereal. "Are you wearing highlighter?" He asked when Louis got to the bottom step. He thumbed at his little lovers cheekbone. 

 

"Yes." Louis nodded, tilting his head. "Do you like it?" 

 

"You're beautiful." Harry replied, nodding. "Now, let's go. We can walk. It's only a block away." 

 

Louis grasped Harry's hand and let himself be led out of their front door. "It really is gorgeous out. Do you think Gemma and Matt will buy the house?" 

 

Harry shrugged. "I really think we can offer them something they won't be able to find anywhere else. Great neighborhood, private school, the house is big enough for them and has everything they want. You don't ever find that, really." 

 

"We did." Louis reminded him. 

 

"Yes," Harry agreed. "And eight kids later, we're renovating the attic."

 

Louis giggled and elbowed him in the ribs playfully. "And soundproofing the walls. That means we can make as much noise as we want without worrying about waking up the kids." 

 

"Filthy." Harry wound his arm around Louis' waist, copping a quick squeeze to his bum. "I'll have to remember that when the renovation is done." 

 

"We'll have a fireplace to finally make love in front of." Louis was picturing the big stone fireplace that was being built in the corner of their attic bedroom. It would be insanely romantic, especially since they were having larger windows put in. He couldn't wait for the first heavy snowfall. That would set the mood even better. 

 

"We already have that." Harry pointed out. 

 

"We can't keep having sex in front of the fireplace in the den, Harry. It's inappropriate." 

 

"Only if the children are home." 

 

"No," Louis pushed at him and picked up his pace. It was futile, because seconds later he was pulled back into a strong chest, Harry's hands winding around his hips. "I refuse to have our children chance catching us in the act. That will scar them for life." 

 

Harry sighed into his hair. "You worry too much about the kids. Bean is almost eleven." 

 

"Eleven is still young, Harry. We'll wait until he takes his test to talk to him about the birds and the bees." They rounded the corner and Zayn and Perrie's house came into sight. It was a sprawling two-story, with flower boxes in the window, flowers still blooming, courtesy of their groundskeeper. The white paint was pristine and the green shutters matched exactly the ones on Harry and Louis' house. 

 

"We have to teach him before then, baby. Do you remember the questions that were on that test? Reds and greens?" Harry reminded him. "We'll have to teach him all about that stuff because I'll be damned if I'm going to send him to some class that will teach him." 

 

"Harry," Louis sighed. "It will be so awkward for Bean to be taught how to whip someone safely and tie them up without leaving marks from his father. A class offers anonymity. No one will know anyone else. The instructor will have no relation to anyone, therefore his opinions won't be biased." 

 

"You have to understand the intensity of this, Louis. I can tell Bean things that no one else can. I can prevent him from making the same mistakes I've made." Harry was serious. 

 

"The only mistakes you've made have had nothing to do with your abilities as a dominant in the bedroom. You're perfect and always have been in that aspect. You've only struggled outside of the bedroom.  _You_ were never taught how to deal with things in daily life." 

 

"And I can teach him that." Harry stressed. "I can teach him the important things. What and when and how to take control of things in a safe and effective manner." 

 

With a sigh, Louis relented. "Fine, Harry. Teach him that. But it would make me feel better if he tried the classes out first." 

 

Harry gave a single, agreeing nod. "Then that's what we'll do. It'll be his decision, as it only affects him and his future." 

 

"Besides," Louis said, opening the front gate and walking through it. He waited for Harry to latch it again before continuing. "When does he even have to take these classes? They were implemented when we had to take the tests." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes, hand on Louis' back as they walked up the steps. "That's because the Council is finally realizing that it's dangerous to pair two strangers up together who have no knowledge whatsoever of what they're expected to do." 

 

"Good for them." Louis pulled the key from the pocket of his capris and unlocked the bright red door. Inside was cool from the central air and smelled like lemon cleaner. The hardwood floors had recently been waxed, shining from the two windows on either side of the door. He sat the keys on the hall table and closed the door behind Harry. 

 

"I forgot what it looked like in here." He said quietly, a knot of emotion forming in his throat. He wasn't going to cry, but the sadness that enveloped him was almost overwhelming. If he concentrated hard enough, he could smell Perrie's perfume and Zayn's cologne. 

 

Harry wound his arm around Louis' shoulder and pulled him closer. "I know," He murmured in agreement. "I know." 

 

"The housekeeper has done a phenomenal job." He pushed past the emotions and walked into the living room. The furniture was clean and in pristine condition. He knew there was a good chance that Gemma and Matt would want to bring or buy their own, and he didn't know how difficult it would be, but it was something he would have to get used to. 

 

"I'll have to give Helen a big tip." Harry nodded. Helen was a widow, but at age sixty-nine, she was bright and sunny. She looked the grandmotherly part, which Louis loved, because she had no children or grandchildren of her own, so she would dote on his when they came around. She took amazing care of the house and enjoyed it, sometimes baking in the kitchen to give the otherwise empty house a lived-in smell. 

 

"Yes, you will." Louis agreed. He looked towards the carpeted stairs and pointed. "I um, I want to go upstairs." 

 

"Of course." Harry followed him, remembering the last time they were in the house together. Louis had walked up the stairs on his own, but the heartbreak had gotten to him and he had to be carried down them, sobbing with grief. And Harry was fully prepared to carry him down them again, just in case. 

 

They walked down the bright and airy hallway, checking the two empty bedrooms, the office, and the bathrooms before entering the master. They'd cleaned out all of the unnecessary stuff, leaving only the furniture. Perrie's closet had been cleaned out, the clothes carefully put in storage, somewhere they wouldn't be destroyed or ruined, and Zayn's clothes were in storage right next to Perrie's. 

 

"The last time we were here, their bed was unmade." Louis remembered it vividly, the sheets winkled and the duvet tossed to the end of the bed. Perrie had a few dresses slung over the bed, outfits she'd deemed unworthy for her and Zayn's night out. She'd had a suspicion that he would propose, and she was right. But unfortunately, the ring had been in Zayn's pocket, still in the velvet box, and put with his personal belongings at the hospital. 

 

Louis had Perrie buried with the ring, and later on, when they'd managed to go through Perrie's things, he'd found a wedding ring set as well. They sat that aside for Bella, agreeing to give it to her on her eighteenth. It seemed so close and so far away. 

 

"I remember." Harry said. He was the one that had to remake the bed while Louis was collapsed in the hallway, being supported by the wall. He remembered it all too well, and he'll be damned if he let anything else happen that would make Louis grieve the way he did. He never wanted to see Louis cry that much again. 

 

Louis took a deep breath and face him. His eyes were watery, but he wasn't crying. Not yet anyway. "Let's go back downstairs." He suggested, and Harry agreed. 

 

"Gemma and Matt are supposed to be here any second." Harry checked his watch on the way down the stairs. As soon as they both hit the bottom step, the doorbell rang. "Perfect timing." 

 

Louis swung the door open and hugged them both. "We're so glad you two agreed to see the house." He said. 

 

"Of course!" Matt smiled, shaking Harry's hand. Harry still had yet to warm up to Matt, but he was getting there. "Thank you for doing this." 

 

Gemma and Matt didn't know the whole story, but they knew enough, and they were grateful. 

 

"So, this is the foyer." Louis swung his arm out. "It's gorgeous, isn't it?" 

 

"I'm in love with the hardwood floors." Gemma gushed. "Having carpet is dangerous with two children." 

 

Harry and Louis shared a look. 

 

Gemma caught it, and was quick to add, "But you two keep yours clean. I need your secret. White carpet with eight children? Very brave." 

 

"We try." Harry replied. "Let's go into the living room. I think you two will love the reading nook. There's a stone fireplace, too. It's small, but it gets the job done." Harry pointed out things like the crown molding and the plush carpet, and the new coat of paint. They discussed the light fixtures and the wall mount for the television above the fireplace. 

 

They were led through the kitchen, which Gemma and Matt both fell in love with. With the marble countertops and kitchen island with a four-burner stove, it gave them more counter space to do their cooking. There was a French-door refrigerator, stainless steel and large. Gemma was especially impressed with the breakfast nook, raving about the wraparound bench seat and little diner-style table. 

 

Louis stayed downstairs as Harry took them on a tour of the bedrooms upstairs. He sat on the third step, barely able to hear them discussing which rooms would be which, but he had a smile on his face. He knew Gemma and Matt would love it, and he was right. They were chattering as they came down the stairs, grinning. 

 

"I think you two will love the backyard." Louis grabbed Gemma's hand and pulled her down the hallway. "There's a deck, which would be amazing for parties and barbecues, and a little pool. Zayn and Perrie never used it, I don't think." 

 

"The girls will love that." Matt said, eyeballing a little patch of upturned dirt. Helen had been planting a garden, knowing that Harry and Louis were thinking of selling the house. It was her little gift to the new owners. 

 

"Do you like to garden?" Harry asked, noticing what Matt was looking at. 

 

"Absolutely." Matt nodded. "Nothing better than garden fresh." 

 

"I agree." Louis sidled up to Harry. 

 

They all stood in amicable silence, each viewing the yard in different ways. Gemma and Matt saw it as new and full of possibilities. Harry and Louis saw it as old and familiar, with memories of laughter in the air. 

 

Gemma and Matt shared a look, and then turned to Harry and Louis. "So," Matt began. "We definitely want it." 

 

Louis clapped his hands. "Really? This is great!" He pulled Gemma into a hug, rocking back and forth. It would be good to have another friend in the neighborhood, and he was sure that she and Niall would hit it off. 

 

"If you two would like to discuss the details, I have the paperwork inside." Harry hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "We can look it over, but if you two decide that you truly want it, we'll have to sign in front of a notary." 

 

"Aren't you a notary?" Gemma asked. 

 

"Yes, but it would be wrong for me to involve myself in this, especially when it's a document with my name on it." Harry explained. "It doesn't feel ethical." 

 

"I understand, baby." Louis squeezed his arms around Harry's waist. "You're so smart." 

 

"Thank you, baby." He leaned down and pecked Louis' lips. "Now, let's get this started." 

 

Harry and Matt headed in front of Louis and Gemma, whose arms were hooked together. 

 

"Are you excited?" He asked her, unable to stop smiling. Gemma had the same problem. 

 

"Of course! It will be amazing to have you two as neighbors. I think the kids will love being in the same neighborhood." She said. "I think we'll get new furniture for the bedroom. We need a new bed anyway, but the furniture in the living room and dining room is fabulous." Then, she looked at Louis. "That doesn't bother you, does it?" 

 

"Of course not, Gemma. I understand. It would be a little weird." He assured her. 

 

"Great!" She smiled, and they picked up their pace, heading to the kitchen. "Now, will you come with me to pick out dish sets? I'm thinking of getting all new dishes." 

 

He smiled, happy that the house would be lived in and loved once more. "Of course I will." 


	72. Chapter 72

Louis gnawed at a stick of celery and studied Niall. He'd known his blonde friend for eleven years, almost twelve. They'd been through countless tear-filled nights (mainly him crying on Niall's shoulder), many children, a move, and all sorts of other unique things that made their friendship and solidified it. He loved Niall with all his heart, which is why he was staring so intently at his only friend. 

 

"Let me name this baby." He finally said, biting off a piece of celery with a loud  _crunch_. 

 

Niall looked up from his pregnancy magazine and eyeballed the celery. He knew Louis had snagged it from the cutting board, where he'd abandoned all the vegetables he was chopping. "Aren't you supposed to be cooking?" 

 

Louis took a long look behind him, turned around, and shrugged. "I've given up. The kids won't eat it, Harry won't eat it. Might as well order pizza and make everyone happy." 

 

"Whatever you say." Niall resumed reading. He was in his eighth month of pregnancy, and done with every last moment of it. He was bloated, and grumpy, and ate everything he saw. Not to mention it was the middle of summer, the worst time to be pregnant. 

 

"Let me name this baby." He said again, seriously. When Niall gave him a look, he continued. "Come on! I have good baby names!" 

 

"Yeah," Niall snorted. " _Bean_." 

 

Louis pushed himself away from the counter and pulled open the takeout drawer. "His real name is Harry. Bean is cute! And like Liam could think of any better names." 

 

Niall paused. "This is true." He relented. He sighed and closed his magazine, marking the page he was on. "Alright, what are your names?" 

 

"Well," Louis finished the celery and wiped his hands on his apron. "I haven't exactly thought it through because I thought you would say no. But I'll think of some!" 

 

"Let me know, then." Niall stood from the stool and put a hand on his lower back. "I'm going to murder Liam tonight in his sleep. I fucking mean it." 

 

"Hey!" Louis tilted his head towards the table, where Archie was coloring wildly. "Little ears. And I completely understand. Most of my children were born in the summertime. And they were Harry babies, so they were  _huge_. Gigantic."

 

"I know. But this Liam baby is really pushing on all of my organs." Niall looked to his stomach, clutching both sides. "Be nice to mummy!" 

 

"So tell me some names Liam has picked out." Louis requested, shuffling the takeout menus in his hands. 

 

Rolling his eyes, Niall headed towards the fridge. "He's still stuck on Peter for a boy. He has no girl name because quite honestly, he's scared he'll get another girl." Another roll of his eyes, and he opened the French doors, studying the contents. 

 

"But you two already know you're having a boy." Louis said.

 

"Yes, but he keeps on thinking of what you two went through with Olivia. Supposed to be a boy, turned out to be a girl." Niall sighed. "Not that he wouldn't love another girl. He just has his heart set on Finn getting a baby brother."

 

Louis nodded. He understood. "Harry was the opposite," Louis giggled. "He came up with boy names, hoping that somehow, the little growing lima bean inside of my stomach would get the hint and be a boy." 

 

Niall leveled him with a glance. "I mean...it kind of worked, didn't it?"

 

"Yes, but not by his telepathy skills. It's because he has freaky sperm. I should get him checked." 

 

"Pointless." Niall muttered. "You can't have anymore kids." 

 

"You're chipper today." Louis deadpanned, studying the menus. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and checked the screen. "I'm going to text my lover." 

 

"I hope you mean Harry." Niall said. Louis grinned but said nothing. 

 

"Take a little longer to answer, love." 

 

Louis looked up. Harry was standing in the doorway, holding a drooling Atticus in his arms. He was grinning, and looked devastatingly handsome, with his pink shirt under his suit and tousled hair. 

 

"I mean you." He giggled, making his way over. "I would never take another man. You've got everything I want and need. Inside and outside of the bedroom." 

 

Harry winked, and Niall groaned. 

 

"You've got nothing in your fridge." Niall complained, munching on a whole pickle. "When are you going to order that pizza? Order breadsticks as well. Extra garlic." 

 

"Don't you have a husband at home to feed you?" Harry questioned. 

 

Niall frowned. "Yes, but I am fighting with him." 

 

"Why?" Louis was immediately concerned. Niall was so close to having this baby, and he didn't want his friend to go through any unneeded stress. He himself had enough experience with it, and it's miserable. 

 

"I found out that he wasn't a virgin when we got matched." Niall sighed, sitting back down. 

 

Louis glanced to Harry. "You didn't know beforehand?" 

 

"I mean...I guess I never asked. But I was completely honest with him, I mean, hell, it was on my file." 

 

"You never saw his file?" Harry asked. He showed Louis his file when they first got matched, sitting in the room where they met for the first time. 

 

"I saw it, but it never said if he was a virgin or not." Niall said. "Dominants don't have to put that. Their tests aren't as invasive as ours." 

 

"That's true." Louis handed Harry the stack of takeout menus. He held his hands out. "I'll trade you for a baby."

 

"Deal." Harry handed him Atty. "What are we wanting?" 

 

"Pizza." Both Niall and Louis said at the same time. Harry looked up from the menus and eyed them both. He was met with big grins from both. 

 

"Anyway, Niall," Louis clutched Atty to his hip and faced his friend. "Are you really mad at Liam for not being a virgin? I mean...you get him for life." 

 

Niall glared at him. "You know you'd be burning down houses if you were in my position." Then, he sighed. "And I'm not really mad. I've just got so many emotions right now I have no idea what I'm feeling. I just want something to be mad at." 

 

"I understand. I'm surprised Harry put up with me." Louis glanced over at Harry, who was nodding his head. 

 

"You were awful, but you were pregnant. I understood, baby." Harry assured him, walking over to their little group. "And I just had to remind myself that  _I_ put the baby inside of you." 

 

Louis raised his eyebrows seductively and looked his husband up and down. "Mmm, don't talk like that. Not in front of the baby." 

 

"Or me!" Niall cried, shaking his head. "You two are disgusting." 

 

"Only sometimes." Louis winked. He snatched the takeout menu from Harry's hand and read it. "Pizza. A man after my own heart." 

 

Harry nodded. "Only the best for my baby." He turned to Niall. "Niall, is Liam coming over for dinner? We have some work to discuss." 

 

Niall shrugged. "I don't know what he does half of the time." Then, he added, "I don't even know what I do half the time." 

 

After exchanging a knowing look with Louis, Harry headed towards the den. "I'll go and call him. Niall, are you alright with him coming over? Your fight isn't serious, is it?" 

 

"Ugh." He groaned. "No." It wasn't serious at all. In fact, Liam had no idea they were fighting, and Niall sort of missed him. 

 

"Baby," Harry turned to Louis, who was gnawing on a carrot. "Where are our children? I neglected to realize that most of them are not here." 

 

"They're with Gemma and Matt. Bean and Lucas and Finn are helping them move, and the rest are keeping Eden and Esme busy. You know how young children are during a move." Louis answered. 

 

"Will they be here for dinner?" He asked, holding his hands out. "I just need to know if I should order ten pizzas." 

 

Rolling his eyes, Louis finished his carrot off. "We never order ten pizzas." He assured Niall. "And no, Gemma and Matt are feeding them. It's just us six." 

 

"So, just three pizzas then." Harry said cheekily, narrowly dodging a thin carrot stick Louis threw at him. "I'm going, I'm going." 

 

When he was gone, Louis smiled at Niall. "I don't know why I put up with him. He is a handful." 

 

Niall only rolled his eyes. 

 

-

 

Harry wasn't joking about ordering three pizzas. He had ordered a variety, and all three boxes were open on their kitchen table. Liam and Niall were sitting on one side, chairs pushed together as close as they could be, while Harry and Louis manned the other side of the table, with Archie and Atty, who were respectively covered in pizza sauce. Jane and Charlotte were running around in the den. 

 

"Have Jane and Charlotte met Eden and Esme?" Louis asked, glancing towards the two girls. Like Liam, Charlotte had brown curly hair and deep chocolate eyes. Jane had blonde hair, pulled into space buns atop her head. Despite their age difference, the two girls were almost the same height. Louis predicted they got that from Niall. 

 

Liam frowned and shook his head. "I don't think so. Niall and I really haven't met them, either. Just in passing, really." 

 

"We should remedy that." Harry suggested, letting Atty gnaw on a pizza crust. The baby blinked up at him. "We should go to dinner together. Get a sitter." 

 

Louis stared at him. "Do you know how much we'd have to pay the babysitter to watch thirteen kids?" 

 

"We can call in reinforcements. Niall and Liam's parents aren't in the country, so I can call my mum and dad up to help yours." Harry replied. "Dinner would be good." 

 

Liam agreed. "There's a new restaurant opening in the city. Supposed to be very nice." 

 

"I'll check it out." Harry reached for another piece of pizza. He'd have to do some extra miles on the treadmill he had in the garage, but it was worth it. 

 

"Wait a minute," Louis spoke up, glaring up at Harry. "Who says we want to go to some fancy restaurant? We always go to a fancy restaurant when we go out." 

 

"You  _like_ fancy restaurants, baby." Harry quirked an eyebrow. 

 

Nodding, Louis took the piece of pizza from Harry's hands and nibbled. "Be that as it may, sometimes I like to go to a restaurant that doesn't have such...high expectations. Sometimes I  _want_ peanut shells to crunch under my shoes when I walk." 

 

"Yeah," Niall chimed in. "Sometimes we want the booth to squeak underneath our bums." 

 

"I can't tell if you two are being serious or not." Liam sighed. "We can go wherever you two want some other time. But this dinner will be the first time we're meeting Gemma and Matt. I'd like to make a good impression."

 

Niall and Louis shared a look. Harry and Liam were businessmen, so it was no surprise that they would want to treat this dinner like a business meeting, with good champagne and dim lighting and a quiet atmosphere. 

 

"Fine. Whatever." Louis waved a hand and handed Harry his half-eaten slice of pizza. He stood, clutching Atty to his chest. "Atty needs his diaper changed. We'll be right back." 

 

"Hurry back," Harry leaned back in his chair and watched Louis walk out of the kitchen. "I'll miss you." 

 

"Yeah, yeah." They heard Louis call back. 

 

Harry turned back to the table and grinned. "He's the light of my life." He told them, like it was some big secret. 

 

"We know. You talk about him all the time." Liam sighed, but he was grinning. He'd take them like this any day, especially since they'd had so many problems. "Now, did we ever decide what restaurant we're going to? I want it to be a good one."

 

Harry agreed. "Not a pub." He and Gemma were still working on their relationship, and it was still difficult for him to banter and be alone with her. He wanted to impress her; to show her that he wasn't the scared little boy she left all those years ago. He had a career, millions in the bank, and a beautiful family. 

 

"You know what," Niall relented. "I'm down for a fancy, expensive dinner. I want to treat this baby to one last expensive treat before I push him out." 

 

"Fair enough." Liam nodded. "I'll make the reservation when we're done with dinner." 

 

Louis chose that time to walk back into the room, holding Atty, who was chewing on his hand and kicking his socked feet. Harry's heart melted. "Did we agree on a restaurant?"

 

"The fancy one." Niall provided, pulling another piece of pizza from the box. Pizza was their baby's favorite thing at the moment. He was sure that the baby would be born holding a slice. 

 

Sitting down, Louis plopped Atty into Harry's lap. "Perfect. I love spending Harry's money." 

 

Harry nodded in agreement. "It's true. I'm nothing but his bank teller."

 

"Speaking of, sort of," Niall glanced towards then den when Jane let out a squeal. "How's the attic renovation going? Almost done?" 

 

"I wish." Louis snorted. "There was a leak, so they had to go in and seal something up." He shrugged. "So the contractors are working on everything but the bathroom. But on the bright side, we chose what kind of stone we want for the fireplace." 

 

"It might not seem like a big decision, but it took weeks for him to decide." Harry told his friends. "But now, we've got the carpet picked out, the hardwood picked out, and the windows picked out." 

 

"So one might say all of the hard stuff is over." Liam joked. 

 

"Pretty much." Harry agreed sarcastically. But despite his words, he gave Louis a loving glance. "But I love how thorough he's been. He really wants it to be perfect." 

 

Louis nodded and grinned. "And, the best part is, the attic will be soundproof." 

 

Liam and Niall could only groan. 


	73. Chapter 73

The fancy new restaurant Liam had made their reservations at was in fact that; fancy. When Harry pulled up under the burgundy canopy, to the valet, Louis could see women in their best jewels and and long gowns, and men in tuxedos and their best suits. He felt a tad dressed down, in his tight slacks and flattering button-up. He wasn't much for suits. Harry was, and he was dressed in a white suit with a blue v-neck underneath. Louis had to admit that his husband was dashing. 

 

Once inside, Harry gave their reservation name to the maître d', who led them to their white-cloth covered table. It was private and secluded, and Louis was happy to see that they were the first to arrive. They sat in the circular booth, thighs squished together. With the promise that their waiter would be by soon, they were left to their own devices. 

 

"I can't believe we're early." Louis hummed. "I thought we would be late." 

 

Harry nodded as he surveyed the restaurant. Despite being busy, it was quiet. "I didn't expect traffic to be quite so heavy." 

 

"It is Friday night," Louis reminded him. "But I'm glad that your mum decided to come up. Her and Robin should be having a good time watching the kids with my parents." 

 

"They're probably going to enjoy the expensive champagne I set out for them more." Harry joked, slipping his hand onto Louis' thigh. He squeezed. "Especially once the kids go to bed. They can order food and crack open that bottle." 

 

"That means they'll have to stay the night." Louis pointed out. 

 

"That also means they'll probably get up with the kids and let us sleep in." Harry added. "Which means we can have morning sex." 

 

Giving a wicked grin, Louis nodded. "That's true. God bless your mum." 

 

Just then, the waiter appeared, handing them menus and flashing a smile. "Good evening. I understand your party has yet to arrive?" 

 

Harry nodded. "Yes, but we'd like to order your best wine and an antipasto platter." 

 

The waiter nodded, writing it down. "With or without bread?" 

 

Harry didn't even have to glance at Louis to answer. He knew Louis would want bread. Louis loved bread. "Bread, please." 

 

"Alright," The waiter slid his notebook back into the small black apron tied around his waist and nodded. "I'll be right out with your wine." 

 

When he was gone, Louis sighed. "Where is everyone?" He looked around, and just as he finished speaking, he saw Gemma and Matt walking towards them. He sat up straighter and grinned. 

 

"Sorry we're late." Gemma apologized, sliding into the booth next to Louis. "Traffic was horrendous. Is it always like that?" She glanced to Harry. 

 

"On Fridays, yes." Harry answered. "But the weekday isn't so bad. You get used to it." 

 

"Gosh, there isn't traffic like that back in America." Matt said. "Unless you're in a big city, you should be good. Gemma doesn't like driving in traffic." 

 

"I don't blame you," Louis agreed with Gemma's choice. "I hated driving in it, especially with the kids. I trust myself, but not other drivers. Too many accidents can happen. It's nerve-wracking. Harry drives most of the time." 

 

"Not after the accident." Harry reminded him. 

 

Gemma frowned. "What accident?" She pulled her wrap up further onto her shoulder. A busboy came over to fill their water glasses, adding a slice of lemon to each. 

 

"I was in a bad car accident a few years ago." Harry explained. "And Louis wouldn't let me drive for a good year and a half after that."

 

Her eyes widened, and she looked to Matt. "What happened?" 

 

Louis answered for Harry. "I sent him out for lemons and it was raining - " 

 

"And in no way your fault." Harry cut in sharply. "I've told you to stop telling the story that way. You were making dinner and needed lemons. I offered to get them, and some drunk driver hit me. Banged me up pretty badly." 

 

"He was in the hospital for quite some time." Louis added, curling up against Harry's side. Harry wound his arm around his shoulders and squeezed. "He actually coded in surgery." 

 

Gemma looked horrified. "Oh God, Harry. I am so sorry - " 

 

Harry held up a hand. He wasn't one to open up about his past, especially to Gemma, with whom he was still sort of estranged. "It's in the past. It used to be hard for Louis to talk about, so I generally don't like to speak about it." 

 

She closed her mouth and nodded. "I understand. I can't imagine." She offered a sympathetic look to Louis. 

 

"There are your friends." Matt chimed in, pointing across the restaurant. Sure enough, Liam was leading a waddling Niall across the restaurant. He stood when they got closer, and greeted them with a hand shake. 

 

"It's nice to formally meet you." Liam smiled his warm and inviting smile. "This is Niall. Currently pregnant and grumpy." 

 

"Very pregnant and very grumpy." Niall elaborated, huffing. He shook their hands quickly and sat down. "I am so miserable." 

 

"When are you due?" Matt asked, sitting next to Gemma. He stared across the table and Liam and Niall, who had sat by Harry. 

 

"Any day." Niall grumbled, looking to Liam. "Literally." 

 

"Actually, probably any minute." Liam guessed. "Tomorrow will be thirty-nine weeks and six days." 

 

Gemma's eyes widened. "Goodness! I can't imagine how you must feel." 

 

"You will." Niall eyed her. "You're what, ten weeks? Eleven?" 

 

Gemma blinked. "Fourteen." She answered. "But good guess."

 

The waiter chose then to stop by the table, placing the antipasto and bread onto the middle of the table. He pulled a bottle of wine from an ice bucket and showed Harry the label. 

 

"Perfect." Harry nodded, and sipped it when the waiter poured his glass. "It's perfect." 

 

The waiter poured everyone a glass, skipping both Gemma and Niall when they held their hands up. He put the bottle back into the ice bucket and faced them. "Have we had a chance to look at the menu?" 

 

Louis glanced down. He'd completely forgotten that he was supposed to be deciding what he wanted to order. "Oh, sorry. We need a few more moments." 

 

The waiter nodded graciously and disappeared. When he was gone, Niall reached forward and shoved a few olives into his mouth, simultaneously shifting around. He had one hand on his side and a grimace on his face. 

 

Louis knew that look. It was the look of labor. "Are you okay?" He asked, pulling apart some bread and putting it into his mouth. 

 

All eyes went to Niall, and he nodded. "Yes. I was having false labor." 

 

"It's why we were late." Liam explained, rubbing Niall's back. "Sorry." 

 

Matt held a hand up. "We've all experienced labor in one way or another. We understand." 

 

"Are you up to eat?" Harry asked, noticing how Niall was still glancing down at his menu. 

 

"Oh, definitely." Niall assured him. "I think I'm going to have steak with seared shrimp." 

 

Harry raised his eyebrows in pleasant surprise. "That's what I was just looking at!" 

 

"You can't have shrimp." Louis reminded him, not looking up from his own menu. 

 

Gemma glanced over. "Did he develop an allergy?" 

 

"No, but our son did. Ollie is allergic to seafood." Louis answered. "The doctor said he might grow out of it, but we're still waiting." 

 

"How do you know when he grows out of it?" Matt inquired. 

 

Shrugging, Louis flipped the page of his menu. His eyes lingered on the steak portion, suddenly in the mood for what Niall had suggested. "I guess we feed him a shrimp and stand-by with his medicine." 

 

Niall snorted and Liam seemed mildly alarmed. Harry only giggled and squeezed Louis' thigh underneath the table. 

 

"We're joking, Matt." Louis offered, noticing Matt's face. "I promise. We take him to his pediatrician every year and they test him for old and new allergies. So far, he's still allergic to seafood and absolutely nothing else." 

 

"Oh, awesome." He looked relieved, and finally opened his own menu. "Gemma, darling, what are you getting?" 

 

"Well, the baby in me wants a big bowl of pasta," She answered, looking up. She pulled a few pieces of food from the antipasto platter and talked while she chewed. "But the turkey breast sounds divine." 

 

"Ooh," Louis flipped the pages of his menu. "That does sound good. Harry, what are you getting?"

 

Harry hummed. "Thinking of the roast capon." He answered. "But I can't stop thinking about that shrimp." 

 

Louis sighed. "Fine." He relented. "You may get the steak and a limited amount of shrimp atop it. But no kissing the babies when we get home and you brush your teeth straight after." 

 

"Tight leash." Niall muttered, closing his menu. "I know what I want. Where's the waiter?" 

 

"What are you getting, love?" Liam closed his menu too. 

 

"What Harry said, the roast capon." He answered, rubbing at his belly again. A brief expression of discomfort passed his face, but it was gone in a second. "With veggies and mash." 

 

"I'm getting what Gemma said, a big bowl of pasta." 

 

"I love how everyone is suggesting one thing and getting another," Louis said. "And getting what everyone else suggested." 

 

Harry closed his menu and sipped his wine. "I'm getting a seafood platter. Steak, lobster, shrimp, and crab salad." 

 

Louis paused. It sounded good, but his mind was set on the steak. "Are we all done? Do we know what we want?" Without waiting for an answer, he began looking for the waiter. 

 

Harry ended up flagging him down, and they took their time ordering. When the waiter was gone, Louis tucked into the bread and wine. He planned on getting tipsy and more than likely handsy at the end of the night. He knew Harry would be in full support of that. 

 

"Niall, are you sure you're alright?" Matt asked, folding a piece of bread. He put it in his mouth and chewed. "You look awfully pale." 

 

Niall waved his hand. "I'm fine. Honestly, this false labor is a bitch." 

 

Louis raised a glass, tucked into Harry's side. "I'll drink to that." 

 

Harry agreed. "Louis had some terrible false labor." He flexed his ring-clad fingers. "I'm glad I still have use of these. He squeezed them so hard I thought they'd break." 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. "He's exaggerating." 

 

"I'm with Harry on this one." Liam said. "Niall is the same way. I really think I'll have a broken hand by the time this baby is born." 

 

Matt joined the conversation, agreeing with both men. "Gemma too. She had the twins naturally so she had to push  _twice_." 

 

"You win." Liam grimaced. He looked down at his hand, flexing the fingers. "I can't imagine delivering twins naturally." 

 

As the only person at the table who has had a c-section with twins, Louis spoke up. "I can tell you that I can't imagine pushing out two babies, one after the other. But the recovery after the c-section I had with the twins was horrendous. I feel like it lasted forever. Showers were the worst." 

 

"We had to buy a shower chair." Harry told them. "Not that I didn't love holding him up, but it made it a whole lot easier. And funner, later on." 

 

Louis whacked him gently on the stomach. "Stop it!" 

 

"Is this your last baby?" Gemma asked, sipping her water. 

 

Liam was the first one to nod, furiously. "Yes. Absolutely." 

 

Niall shrugged. "Well..." He glanced at Liam. "For now." He winked. 

 

-

 

Halfway through their mouthwatering meals, Niall's water broke. He had a forkful of food halfway to his mouth and paused, eyes wide. He lowered the fork and glanced around the table. 

 

"Uh, guys?" His voice was wavering. 

 

"Hm?" Liam was the first to answer, swirling some of his pasta around on his fork. 

 

"My water just broke." Niall said, and Liam dropped his fork. His own eyes were wide and his face suddenly pale. 

 

"Oh! Congratulations!" Louis cheered. "Let's get to the hospital." 

 

"Wait," Liam held a hand up and slid out of the booth. He helped Niall out, and took his own suit jacket for Niall to wrap around his waist. "Finish your dinners. Birth is a long ways away." 

 

Niall nodded, looking awfully chipper for someone who was beginning to sweat and contract. "Really, we can call you all when we're admitted and settled in." 

 

"We can stop by your house and get your bags." Louis offered. 

 

"Already packed. We've had them in the vehicle for three weeks." Liam said, pulling some bills from his wallet. 

 

"Take that." Harry shook his head at the money. "This is on us. Go and have a baby." 

 

Niall nodded, hunched over, hands resting on the table. "That's exactly what I'm going to do." He eyed his dinner, then looked at Louis. "Do me a favor? Bring that to me when I have the baby." 

 

With a grin, Louis replied, "I'll do you one better, and bring it fresh." 

 

"Bless you." Niall stood up straight and linked arms with Liam. 

 

"We'll call you when we're settled." Liam promised. "Harry, can you call our babysitter?" 

 

"Of course." Harry nodded. "Go! We'll take care of everything." 

 

Liam looked relieved, and a little scared, and he led Niall out of the restaurant. The foursome watched them go, none eating their dinner. They were too excited. Louis especially. His best friend was having another baby. 

 

"I can't eat." Gemma sighed. "This is just too exciting. It makes me want to have my baby now." She rubbed at her stomach. 

 

Matt shook his head, disagreeing. "Let's let him cook for a bit longer," He suggested with a smile on his face. "He'll be here in good time." 

 

"He?" Harry asked. "I thought you were only fourteen weeks." 

 

"We have a feeling that this one is a boy." Matt explained. 

 

"I had that same feeling with the majority of our children." Louis said dryly, glancing at Harry. "Turns out, the feeling you get is never wrong." 

 

Harry couldn't help the wide grin that stretched across his face. He hooked his arm around Louis' shoulders and kissed his temple. "Sorry baby. I can't help it." 

 

"I know," Louis scowled, but there was a smile on his face. He loved all of his children. 

 

"Well," Matt clapped his hands together. "My appetite is back. Let's eat and let Harry and Louis visit Niall and Liam." 

 

They all dug in, with Louis asking Harry to remind him to place an order for Niall's dinner, to be ready to pick up when Niall had the baby. Harry flagged the waiter down right then, and as he was speaking, Louis began to think of baby names, not forgetting that Niall had wanted a list of baby name suggestions. 

 

 

 


	74. Chapter 74

The steady beeping of machines and the smell of antiseptic was all too familiar to Louis. The hallways were familiar, the cries of babies and family members reminded him of all the times that he and Harry had to be hospitalized, with babies and surgeries. But now, neither were hospitalized, and it was honestly refreshing walking the halls of the maternity ward without a pregnant belly or babies in the neonatal unit. 

 

"He's in this room," Louis veered to his right, holding his hand out for Harry to take. He knocked once, just in case the doctor was in there and Niall was spread-eagle on the bed. He wasn't, and Liam opened the door. 

 

"Still no baby?" Harry asked, making a sympathetic face. He knew the waiting was ultimately the hardest part. 

 

"No." Niall groaned from the bed, huffing. It had been sixteen hours, and he was only dilated to a four. "This is stupid. My water broke last night." 

 

Harry sat down on the plush chair by Niall's bed, and Louis sat on his lap, nodding. "You're preaching to the choir. People are lying when they say it's easier after the first kid. Labor is  _not_ quicker." 

 

"Ain't that truth." Harry agreed. "I feel that you had Bean really fast, though, love. Didn't you?" 

 

Louis shrugged, hooking his arms around Harry's neck. "I can't remember. It was so long ago." 

 

"It took awhile." Liam chimed in, taking a seat on Niall's bed. Niall grumbled, but made the tiniest bit of room for his baby daddy. Not too much though, because it  _was_ Liam's fault he was laying in the hospital bed. 

 

"I'm glad you remember Liam." Louis side-eyed Harry. "After the twins, I can't remember anything. It's all a blur."  

 

"That's partially due to the amount of painkillers you had to have for each labor and delivery." Harry added, squeezing his thigh.

 

"Ah, yes." Louis reminisced. "The painkillers. They were my only friend through labor." 

 

Liam rolled his eyes, Niall snickered, and Harry gasped and pinched the meatiest part of his thigh. It barely even hurt, as that was Harry's favorite place to suck on and leave marks. 

 

"Excuse me _,_ _I_ was your only friend through labor." He corrected. "I held your hand, even when you were trying to break it. I brought you ice chips and laid in the bed next to you when you had  _awful_ contractions." 

 

"You also cried." Louis was smug about it, but really, he loved that Harry had cried. "With each baby, I might add." 

 

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried." Harry defended himself. "And a few of those times,  _you_ were the one I was worried about, not the baby they were pulling from you." He kissed Louis' temple and added, "Not that I didn't worry about our baby. But they were always fine. You, on the other hand, my little troublemaker. You were the one making me pull my hair out." 

 

Louis curled himself further into Harry's body and grinned sweetly. "He's so sweet to me." He said to Niall and Liam. "There's no one else I'd rather have kids with." 

 

"I think I can remember a time where you threatened to cut my..." Harry glanced over to his friends, who were sporting amused grins. " _Thing_ off if I got too close to you." 

 

"This is true." Louis confirmed. "But, in my defense, all of our children were like nine pounds. Big, fat, Harry babies." 

 

Harry could feel nothing but pride when he thought of his babies. He squeezed Louis tighter. "Nothing but the best for my love." 

 

Niall sighed, and it sounded happy, until they looked over at him. His face was squeezed in pain and he was clutching Liam's hand. 

 

"This is all so nice," He panted, opening his eyes a sliver. "But I'm contracting and really want to kill all of you for no reason." 

 

Liam looked worried, Harry nodded in understanding, and Louis shrugged. He had been there and done that. 

 

"I know what you mean." Louis said, standing. He stretched and turned to face Harry, who stood as well. "We'll go down to the food court and get something to eat. Liam, want us to bring you back anything?" 

 

Liam mulled it over. There was a menu and he could order from the kitchen, but would he want to eat in front of Niall whilst he was laboring? Niall must have sensed his hesitation because he unleashed the hand he was squeezing. 

 

"Go ahead and eat. Eat enough for me, too." He leaned back against the pillows, the contraction gone. "God only knows I can't eat anything." 

 

"The doctor said you could eat, love." Liam reminded him, hand poised to grab the menu. 

 

Niall scowled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah,  _fruit_. I don't even want fruit when I'm not laboring. Why would I want it when I  _am_ laboring?" 

 

"Baby, there's a whole menu for the maternity ward." Liam pulled the menu out anyway and held it up to Niall. "See, right here?" 

 

"Yes, Liam, I do see." Niall huffed. "Graham crackers, fruit, smoothies -" 

 

"Soup," Liam interjected. "Whole wheat pasta." 

 

"Whatever." Niall pushed the menu away. "Order me whatever. Get yourself something, too. Like I said, eat something good for me, too." 

 

Liam looked helpless and put the menu away. "Whatever you want, love." He turned to Harry and Louis. "Uh...whatever you two get." 

 

"Probably just a burger," Harry said, in his slow drawl. 

 

"Fuck." Niall groaned. "Just go with them, Liam. I don't want to watch you eat a burger in front of me." He sat up straighter and pointed at his husband. "But as  _soon_ as this baby is out of me, you'd better have a burger on standby." 

 

"I promise." Liam nodded. 

 

"I  _mean_ it, Liam." Niall folded his arms across his chest. "I want the burger before the baby." 

 

"Of course." Liam rolled his eyes, a fond expression on his face. He kissed Niall on the forehead and rounded the bed, looking a tad too excited to leave the room. "I'll bring you back something, dear." 

 

When they were out of the hospital room, Liam breathed a sigh of relief. "I love him to death, but I  _had_ to leave that room. I was going absolutely nuts." 

 

"It'll all be worth it." Harry offered, pressing the elevator button. "Louis was just as bad." 

 

"Hey," Louis jabbed Harry in the side. "I was not. I was a delight." 

 

"Yeah," Harry snorted, placing his hand on his spouses lower back, leading him onto the elevator. "A mean, laboring delight." 

 

Once the elevator doors closed, Louis leaned into Harry. "It was worth it. Don't worry, Liam. Once you hold that baby, you'll forget all about the process." 

 

Harry nodded in agreement. 

 

Liam sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He looked exhausted. Apparently, Niall hadn't slept a wink since he went into labor the night before, which meant that he himself wasn't allowed to sleep. 

 

"Let's skip the food court." Louis suggested when the elevator hit the lobby. 

 

"I don't want to go very far," Liam pointed a thumb over his shoulder. However, his face didn't match his words. He looked excited to leave the hospital, if even for an hour. 

 

"It's not that far." Louis promised. He took Harry's hand and the trio headed for the hospital doors. "We can walk, since it's nice." 

 

And it was. The sun was shining, and the wind was cool on their skin. It was the perfect summer day, especially for London. They'd been seeing better days lately, and Louis was all over it. It meant his kids could be outside more. 

 

"Do you still want a burger?" Louis asked, asking both men. 

 

"I want to say yes, but I know you'll convince me otherwise." Harry responded, squeezing his lovers hand. 

 

With a beaming smile, Louis nodded. "You're right. There's a cafe a block from here. We can eat al fresco." 

 

"What kind of food do they have?" Liam asked. He sounded down to eat there. He really didn't want to grab a quick burger and scarf it down. 

 

"All sorts. Sandwiches, salads." Louis said. "You'll like it. I promise." 

 

Liam shrugged. It was good enough for him.  

 

It took them no time to get to the restaurant, and they were seated outside, at a wrought-iron table with an umbrella shading them from the sun. Tall trees lined the sidewalk and created moving shadows on the pavement beneath their feet. The wind rippled through their clothes at a gentle pace. It was marvelous. 

 

They were handed menus and accepted tall glasses of lemon water. Liam immediately flipped his menu open and scanned the pages. Louis was right; they had quite the variety and everything sounded great. 

 

"What are you thinking, love?" Louis murmured to Harry, looking through his own menu. 

 

"I think I'm partial to this sandwich." Harry answered, pointing to a BLT with more fixings than Louis could imagine. "You?" 

 

"It looks good, but I'm thinking a salad. Maybe a sandwich." Louis answered. He looked to Liam. "What about you, Li?" 

 

"I'm so hungry I could eat anything." Was Liam's honest answer. "And I have to get something for Niall, too." 

 

"They've got lighter fare on the back page." Louis told him. "Maybe he can have some broth?" 

 

Liam hummed and nodded. "It's better than nothing. He'll just have to make due." 

 

Louis snickered and took a sip of his water. "Don't tell him that. I hated it when Harry told me that." 

 

Liam shook his head. He knew better. "Oh, I won't. It's a losing battle, arguing with someone in labor." 

 

Harry reached over at patted Louis' hand. "I try not to argue with this one. I lose every time." 

 

Louis clucked his tongue. "And yet, we argue often." 

 

"That's because the making up is  _so_ sweet." Harry grinned, dimples out. It made Louis blush and Liam groan. "Don't let him fool you, Liam. He loves it." He leaned over and brushed his nose against Louis' cheek. 

 

"This is great..." Liam began, closing his menu. "But Niall is about to bring my fourth baby into the world. Forgive me if I don't want to talk about sex or makeup sex or sex in general. I just can't right now."

 

Louis pushed Harry away with a glare and turned to Liam. "I agree with you, Liam. I don't want to talk about sex right now, either. Especially when we're about to eat." 

 

Harry chuckled. "Sorry, my love. Liam." He nodded. "Now, where's our waiter? I'm starving." 

 

-

 

By the time they finished their quick lunch and grabbed some for Niall and headed back, Niall had dilated three more centimeters. He barely acknowledged the food as he was in the throes of another contraction when Liam entered the room. 

 

"Who knew all I had to do was leave to get him to dilate more?" He joked, kissing Niall's sweaty forehead. 

 

Glaring, Niall pushed him away. "Well, go away again so I can push him out already." 

 

Liam chuckled nervously and sat down, placing his hands on his knees. He looked ready to bolt, but Harry knew he was just nervous. He'd expressed his fear of having this child some months ago in the privacy of Harry's office, and Harry did his best to reassure his friend that everything would be okay. 

 

"Ni, we brought you some food." Louis sat the food onto the lap tray and sat on the edge of the bed. He rung out a washcloth and dabbed Niall's forehead. "Now, when the baby is here, we'll go and get you a steak or something. But for now, you can't have very much food because, well, you know."

 

Niall nodded glumly. "Yeah, I know. It really is a bitch to be hungry while in labor." He grumbled. He reached for the bag anyway and opened it. He took out the plastic bowl of soup and dunked a spoon in it. He pointed it at Liam, who went wide-eyed. "Last one, Payne. I mean it." 

 

Liam nodded wordlessly. 

 

"You're getting fixed." Niall continued. "I mean it." 

 

"I know you do, love." Liam soothed. "I will, I promise." 

 

Harry and Louis exchanged a look. "Did I ever threaten to have you fixed?" Louis asked him. 

 

"Baby, you threatened to kill me." Harry snorted. "So I wouldn't be surprised if you threw that in there every now and again." 

 

Rolling his eyes, Louis stood and began picking up around Niall's bed. He readjusted the pillows, made sure Niall's iPad was plugged in and perfected the stack of magazines. He busied himself making sure that Niall's space was comfortable and clean so that when he had the baby, he wouldn't have to worry about anything but the little bundle of joy in his arms. 

 

Harry settled back in the chair and looked at Liam. "Excited?" It must have been his tone, or the fact that Niall was calm again, but Liam smiled and nodded. 

 

"Yeah," He answered honestly, looking at Niall with love in his eyes. "We've got the crib in our room, and this cute little mobile with animals on it. There's a giraffe - " 

 

"It's the cutest giraffe ever." Niall interrupted, grinning. "And there's this elephant holding a little blue balloon. It's honestly the best thing ever."

 

Liam nodded. "It is. We're planning on giving it to Finn when he gets matched and has his first baby." 

 

Louis grinned and looked at Niall. "I wonder how Lucas feels about having a baby so young, then." 

 

"Shut up." Niall said, but he was smiling. "Our children aren't going to get matched." 

 

"It would be a very slim chance." Liam tacked on. "Even if they put their preferences to just surrounding areas, imagine how many people they would get matched with." 

 

"Unless they padded their answers," Harry held up a finger. "They could find mock copies of the test online and make sure they put corresponding answers." 

 

"If they go through that much trouble, I say we just let them be together." Louis said. "In all honesty, if it comes to that, I'm not going to have them go through the trouble. Just let them be." 

 

Niall agreed. "Yeah, you're right. If it comes to it, we'll figure out a way to fight it." 

 

"If I know Lucas, he'll keep to just London." Harry said. "He won't put anything but." 

 

Louis nodded. "He likes to stick to home." 

 

Liam hesitated. "Finn has been talking about maybe putting Ireland with his choices." 

 

"He's already talking about it?" Louis was surprised. Finn was younger than Bean, only by a few months, but still. 

 

"We got a letter in the mail a few days ago," Niall explained, pushing his soup away. He was done for now, and he was feeling another contraction coming on. "Finn got to it. It was just saying how they were going to start having classes for the upcoming test to prepare everyone and he asked us about it." 

 

"We got the same letter." Harry told him. "I threw it away." 

 

Liam gave him a thumbs up. "Good on you, mate. It's a bit ridiculous that they want us to start teaching our children this so early. For God's sake, Finn is only twelve." 

 

"It is a bit ridiculous." Louis sat down in Harry's lap and wound an arm around his neck, playing with the short curls. "They've got plenty of time. Let them be kids." 

 

Despite what he said, he couldn't help but worry. The testing was such a big part of their lives. It literally determined their future. Determined how happy they would be, how their lives would pan out. It scared him to let his kids take a test that would pair them with a random person. Would they be happy? Miserable? Would they be full of love for their partner and overcome anything like he did with Harry? 

 

"Are you okay?" Harry whispered in his ear. He squeezed Louis' thigh comfortingly and looked at him inquisitively. 

 

"Yeah." He responded quietly, turning to Harry and nodding. "Yes." 

 

Harry looked at him in disbelief. 

 

"I'll tell you when we get home." He promised. 

 

"Gotcha." Harry nodded and dropped the subject. He knew that it was important and after ten years, he could take a cue. "We have to pick the kids up in forty minutes." 

 

"I remember." Louis said, standing. "We've got to get home, but Niall, the second you get the go-ahead from the nurse, call me. I want to be here when he comes." 

 

Niall nodded and tapped his big belly. "You got it. You're the one that I want." 

 

"Hey," Liam pouted. 

 

"You too, Li." He rolled his eyes and waved Harry and Louis goodbye. When they were out of the room, Liam sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the hand of Niall's that wasn't hooked with an IV. 

 

"Think he'll keep us waiting?" Liam asked softly, gentle brown eyes looking at Niall. 

 

"Probably not." Niall shrugged, squeezing Liam's hand. "I think he'll be here before we know it." 


	75. Chapter 75

Harry sat his briefcase down on the table in the foyer and shrugged his suit jacket off. The house was unusually quiet for a Friday afternoon during summer vacation. He walked down the air-conditioned hall and through the spotless kitchen. He walked into the den and finally spotted Louis outside on a chaise. He opened the french doors and walked to meet his lover. 

 

"Where are the kids?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the chaise. He smoothed a hand down Louis' warm bare back, feeling the soft skin underneath his rough palm. He could tell Louis had been soaking up the sun for quite some time. 

 

Louis lifted his head and squinted, and Harry realized he was sitting in the sunlight. He shifted his body until a shadow was cast across Louis' face. 

 

"They're with Gemma and Matt." Louis answered, dropping his head back onto his folded arms. "Except Atty. He's napping." He unfolded one arm and waved the baby monitor around to prove that Atty was in fact sleeping. 

 

"So you've had the whole day to yourself, hm?" Harry questioned, eyes lingering on the dimples just above Louis' pants. 

 

"I have. And it was relaxing." He looked pointedly at Harry. 

 

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Until I got home? Then your relaxation shattered?"  

 

Louis nodded and mumbled something. "You can make it up to me by taking me out tonight." 

 

Harry let his eyes wander down Louis' smooth back and his hand did the same, stopping just above the waistband. And because he wasn't shy, and sort of an animal, he pushed his hand under the waistband and squeezed Louis' arse cheek. 

 

"I could start by eating you out, maybe." He suggested. "Right here in the open. My lips on your warm skin. Right where anyone could see." 

 

That wasn't true. They had a high fence, but the thought of someone seeing made him excited. Ever since that fateful day, years ago, when Louis gave him the privilege of outside sex, he craved it and would ask for it as often as possible. 

 

Louis gave a thoughtful hum and smiled lazily. "Only if I don't have to do a single thing." 

 

With permission granted, Harry squeezed his arse cheeks and nodded. "You won't have to do a thing, baby. Sleepy and warm sex is my favorite. Now, you just lay there and let Daddy do all the work." 

 

-

 

Two hours later, Louis was limping around the kitchen, Atty on his hip, looking for something to eat. Harry had pretty much fucked him stupid, and if he wasn't already tired enough, having slow sex in the sun sealed the deal. He felt exhausted, but in a good way. It was like the feeling you get after swimming all day, skin warm with a hint of sunburn. 

 

Harry wandered in a few moments later, white shirt still open from when he'd unbuttoned it but couldn't be bothered to shrug it off before entering Louis. His pants were buttoned though, thankfully. If his pants were off, Louis would have expected more sex. 

 

"Find anything?" He scratched at his laurel tattoos. 

 

"No." Louis sighed and shifted Atty, kissing his soft little cheek. "Let's just order out. I want to eat and curl up in bed." 

 

"Mm, baby." Harry grinned, letting his hand travel down to his crotch, where he cupped his cock. "Ready for more?" 

 

Louis eyed his crotch wearily. "No. Keep that thing away from me." He turned away, gave it a thought, and looked over his shoulder. "Maybe later. If you play your cards right." 

 

Harry grinned wickedly and nodded. He could deal with that. But more than likely, with the way he'd fucked Louis earlier, he'd end up just eating him out all night. His mouth was watering at the thought. 

 

Louis sighed and turned around. "I can't think of anything to eat. The kids will just have to starve tonight." 

 

"Why are you so dramatic?" Harry inquired. "I can grill. Leave it to me." 

 

"I love the way you take care of me." Louis said, blowing him a kiss. "Now, do me a favor and take this heavy baby." 

 

-

 

A few hours later, they walked down to Gemma and Matt's to gather their kids for dinner, and ended up with both Gemma and Matt and their two daughters. The more the merrier, Louis had said, and was now mixing drinks inside while Harry and Matt tended to the grill, simultaneously sipping beer and watching the kids. 

 

"Gemma wants something like that for the kids," Matt said, pointing to the large pirate ship play-set that Ollie and Theo were currently terrorizing. 

 

"It's been nice. Would have been nicer if I'd known I was buying it." He said, swallowing a mouthful of some type of fancy beer Louis had bought. "I went to work one day, came back nine hours later and it was there. Big fucking thing, too." 

 

Matt laughed. "I know what you mean. Gemma spends my money more than I do." 

 

"God. I know. Louis is the boss of my wallet here." Harry said. "But I don't mind. Everything he buys is for the kids. I have to force him to buy things for himself. It's ridiculous." 

 

"Gemma speaks very highly of him, you know." Matt sat down at the bright blue picnic table and peered out at the yard. Esme and Eden were sitting on a blanket with Lucas and Olivia, playing with some dolls. From what he could see, each doll had a cape on. His girls had been into superheroes lately. 

 

"I'm glad." Harry drawled, looking into the open french doors to the house. He had heard Louis' laughter and couldn't help but smile. 

 

"I think she loved him from the moment she met him." Matt continued. "Honestly, she loves you but I think she loves Louis more. He's really fantastic." 

 

"I like to think so, too." Harry's smiled widened when Louis came out, grinning and holding a margarita. He walked right over to Harry, who tucked him under his arm. "Hello, darling." 

 

"Hi." Louis grinned up at him. He held the margarita up and Harry took a sip through the straw. "How's it coming?" 

 

"Perfectly. How are the margaritas?" He cocked a brow, knowing full well that Louis had probably had two or three. He couldn't wait to taste them on his lovers mouth later. 

 

"They're fantastic." Louis replied. His lips were wet and all Harry could focus on. "Would you like one of your own?" 

 

"Nah. I'll just sip from yours." He bent his head down and wrapped his lips around the straw to prove his point. He half expected Louis to pull the glass away, but he didn't. He made it easier for Harry to drink from, and honestly, he couldn't wait to get Louis into bed later. 

 

"You two are so cute." Gemma chimed in, walking onto their deck with a glass of chilled ginger ale. She had the cutest baby bump and when she sat down, Matt's hands went directly to it. 

 

"Thank you." Louis smiled up at Harry, who leaned down to peck his nose. 

 

"I'm pretty smitten with him." Harry replied. He wrapped his free arm around Louis' torso and used the other to flip the food on the grill. He had steak kebobs for the kids, who loved eating food off of a stick, and honestly, it was an easy way to get them to eat their vegetables. The adults had steak and chicken. He turned a foil wrapped ear of corn and bent down to take another sip. 

 

"I would hope so." Louis said dryly, but giggled. "I've had all of your babies. That has to mean something." 

 

Gemma chimed in. "Oh, believe me, it does." She smiled. "He'd been so adamant on not having children his whole life, and now look at him. Eight kids and loving every moment of it." 

 

"I just needed someone to change my mind." Harry replied. "In fact, he's changed my whole life." 

 

"It shows." Gemma said, and to Louis, she mouthed  _thank you_. She was so proud of her brother and truly happy that he had found Louis. They were honestly a match made in heaven. 

 

"So," Louis pushed his body into Harry's a little bit more and addressed Gemma and Matt. "How's the house coming along?" 

 

"It's good." Matt answered. "The kitchen is all set up and the we just finished the library a few days ago." 

 

"I didn't know you two were going to make one of the rooms a library." Harry said, a little surprised. 

 

"Matt's office is doubling as one." Gemma explained. 

 

"Which bedroom did you all decide on for the nursery?" Louis inquired, tickling Harry's side gently. 

 

"The room with the little nook." Gemma answered happily. "We figured we could put the crib in the little nook and that would leave some more room for everything else. We've got a beautiful old rocking chair that I can't wait to use." 

 

Louis put a hand over his heart. "I love rocking chairs. I barely got out of mine when I had babies." 

 

Harry nodded. "It's true. He lived in his rocking chair." But Harry couldn't blame him. It was a gorgeous, comfortable rocking chair and it was exactly what Louis needed, especially after all of his more traumatic births. If ever he lost Louis, all he had to do was go into the nursery. 

 

"Are you excited?" Louis asked again, eyeing Gemma's belly. 

 

"We are." Matt nodded. "We have yet to pick a name. Who knew how hard it was to pick a boy name?" 

 

Harry snorted while Louis looked out across the yard. He cut his eyes back to Gemma and Matt and gave them a dry smile. "Believe me, it gets easier." 

 

Gemma and Matt shared a look of amusement. "Sorry." Gemma apologized. 

 

"It's okay." Louis sighed. "I have no one to blame but Harry." 

 

Harry smirked. "He pretends like he doesn't like it, but he really does." 

 

"Of course I love my children." Louis glared up at Harry, nose scrunched and all. "But boy after boy after boy - " 

 

"After boy after boy." Harry finished jovially. "I just can't help it baby. I gave you a daughter. My job is done." 

 

"Forever, thankfully." Louis giggled, pressing his nose into Harry's side. No longer was he sad about not being able to carry children. In fact, he was a little happy about it. It gave him more time to focus on his babies now and prepare for the best summer together. 

 

Gemma glanced over at Harry. "Are you two done having children?" She wanted to ask, but it seemed tactless to ask outright if Louis couldn't have anymore children. 

 

Harry nodded and lowered the lid of the grill. He sat on a lawn chair and lowered Louis into his lap. "Yes. But even if we wanted to have more, we couldn't." 

 

Gemma chose her next words carefully. "Can you not anymore?" 

 

Louis shook his had. "After this last one, the doctors made sure I wouldn't have to go through anything like that again." 

 

Matt glanced over at Atty, who was sitting up on a blanket, banging two blocks together. "Bad experience?" 

 

Harry nodded and his grip on Louis tightened. Thought it was almost a year ago, he still felt protective over Louis. "Very bad. They did what they did so that I could take home a husband and a baby, and I'm thankful everyday for it." 

 

Gemma said nothing but gave a sympathetic look. Matt's was the same, but he said, "Well, Atticus looks like a very healthy baby. A good size." 

 

"Oh, there was no question about whether or not he'd be healthy. All of Harry's babies were huge." Louis crossed his legs, sitting sideways in Harry's lap, and didn't even blink when Harry's hand traveled down to his bottom. "It was me. My...situation got progressively worse with every pregnancy." He didn't need to say the word  _uterus_ , because Gemma nodded. She completely understood. 

 

"I'm glad everything is fine now." Matt said. "The girls love their cousins." 

 

"Ollie and Theo love having another set of twins around." Harry said. 

 

Louis looked out at the yard, where everyone was playing. He searched out the bright blond hair of Esme and Eden, who were now running around with Ollie and Theo. "They really do. They don't feel so alone." 

 

Gemma leaned forward. "Isn't the twin thing so weird? It's so marvelous but so weird." 

 

"Harry and I talk about the same thing all the time." Louis agreed with her. "It's so strange to watch how they interact with each other versus how they interact with other people. They're honestly lost without each other." 

 

"I find relief in the fact that they'll keep their bond for life." Matt said. "And I like to think that they'll stay friends for life." 

 

"We worry about that sometimes, too." Harry said. "I think every parent does at one point. It's so hard to try to raise them to be as close as possible and then think that they might not even like each other in the future." 

 

"And you have the business, Harry," Gemma pointed out. "Aren't you afraid that the kids might think there's an unfairness there?" 

 

"I've thought about that too," Matt chimed in. "How are you going to decide who gets what?" 

 

Harry cleared his throat. "Louis and I have discussed it. The fairest conclusion that we came to is that each one gets a part of it and then we're leaving them money, too. We're not forcing them to be apart of it, though. Like Lucas likes ballet, so if he decides to pursue that instead of the business, he has the option to keep it or sell it to one of his siblings." 

 

Louis noticed their blank looks and added, "It's hard to explain. Even I don't get it, but Harry does, and I trust him. He'll take good care of our babies." 

 

Gemma nodded. "I have no doubt that he will. He's a good man." She had such pride in her eyes when she said so, Louis noticed. And maybe even a trace of guilt in them, too, for leaving Harry at one of the most vulnerable moments in his life. 

 

Harry, who was not one for elongated mushy moments, patted Louis' thigh, silently asking to end the conversation. "Well, let's eat. I'm sure the kids are starving." 

 

-

 

"Harry, come here," Louis hollered through the house. He was laying on the couch, unmotivated and bored. The house was sort-of clean, Atty was crawling around on his little blanket, chewing on the ear of a little stuffed animal, and the rest of the kids were outside with Gemma and Matt and their children, swimming and causing mayhem. Only he and Harry had the sense to stay inside on the hot day, but he chose a more relaxed way to spend his time. Harry was working. 

 

Or rather,  _was_ working, as he appeared in the doorway, eyebrow cocked, an expression of amusement on his face. Despite working, he was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt with his university's name on it. "Yes?" 

 

"Come and look at this." He instructed, waving his hand. He watched as Harry crossed the room and came to a standstill in front of the couch. "Don't hover, sit." 

 

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, but lifted Louis' legs and sat down, laying them over his lap. "Happy?" He asked. 

 

"Very." Louis answered dryly. He held his phone out. "Look at this picture." 

 

Harry pulled the phone closer to him, and then pushed it a bit further away, blinking a few times to get a good focus of the picture on the screen. It was of Louis, holding a baby and smiling down at it. "Cute. I haven't seen this one before. Which one is it?" 

 

"It's Niall and Liam's newest baby." Louis informed him, pulling the phone away. "Should I be offended that you can't remember which baby is which?" 

 

"Not when we have eight, no." Harry answered, leaning his head back, eyes closed. "What did they chose for the name?" 

 

"Emmett." Louis answered. "He's a doll. Dark hair, tiny little nose. So cute." 

 

"That's a good name. When did they have him?" Harry asked. "Liam would have texted me." 

 

Louis glanced at him. "He did. Will you rub my legs?" 

 

Without answering, Harry began to massage Louis' calves, eyes still closed. "When did he do that?"

 

"Yesterday. I opened the message on your phone and read it. I think I was going to tell you but then Theo decided to spill grape juice all over the carpet." 

 

"Is that what that stain is?" Harry asked. 

 

"Yep." 

 

Harry kept rubbing, but turned his head and looked over at Louis. "I need to get you a new carpet, huh?" He had a small smile on his face. 

 

Louis nodded. "It would be nice."

 

"You know what to do, baby. Say the word and we'll have it tomorrow." Harry promised. And with a quick glance around the room, they might benefit from getting some new furniture, too. Maybe he'd surprise Louis with a shopping trip. It's been awhile since he's spoiled his lover. 

 

Louis made a thoughtful noise and grinned. "I wonder what else I could get out of you, then. Feeling generous?" 

 

"Always for you, baby." Harry promised. 

 

Louis settled deeper into the couch, wiggling until he was relaxed. "Why stop there? I need new appliances, too." 

 

Harry made a face and glanced over at him. "We just got new appliances when we renovated the kitchen. Try again." 

 

Louis harrumphed. "Fine. Hardwood floors, then. I want a darker stain. And maybe a white accent table." He opened one eye and peered at Harry. "And a new chandelier." 

 

"Should we just renovate the foyer, then?" Harry asked jokingly. 

 

Louis hummed. "I think we should talk about it, but no more renovating until the attic is done." 

 

At the mention of the attic, Harry glanced up. They'd had the leak fixed twice over, with the promise that nothing like that would happen again. "It's only a few tweaks away from being done. All we have to do is get the furniture up there." 

 

"And paint." Louis reminded him. "The kids are so excited to help. Gemma even offered Matt up to help. She wanted to help too, but she's pregnant and I'm not allowing her to breathe in the fumes  _or_ walk up three two flights of stairs." 

 

Harry laughed. "Do you remember how stubborn you were with stairs?" He squeezed Louis' foot, earning a satisfied groan. "Even with Bean, you kept climbing that ridiculous staircase we had at our first house." 

 

Louis giggled. "Oh yeah. How many steps were there?" 

 

"I think twenty-five, baby. You climbed them like a champ. Big pregnant and everything." Harry looked at him in admiration. "You amaze me, darling." 

 

Louis kicked his foot gently, never letting it leave the warm grasp of Harry's hand, and smiled lazily. "I live to serve." 

 

"You do, baby. You do." Harry squeezed his foot once more before patting his legs. "Now, get up and get dressed. Daddy's taking you out tonight." 

 

"And what do you have in mind?" 

 

"I'm thinking classic, dinner and a movie." Harry suggested. 

 

Louis shrugged. "Fine. But can I get tipsy and make out with you in the theater?" 

 

"Baby, I'd be upset if you didn't." 

 

-

 

Dinner was a success, Harry thought. They went out to a delightful little Mexican restaurant, where Louis drank four margaritas, and he giggled into Harry's neck the whole ride to the movies. There, Harry bought them popcorn but it essentially went to waste as Louis was in his lap the second the lights dimmed in the thankfully empty theater. He had just enough time to squeeze the tips of his fingers under the waistband of Louis' capris before his neck was being assaulted by kisses. 

 

The weight of his lover and the mother of his children was welcome, and he embraced it quite literally, snaking his arms around Louis' waist to pull him in tighter. They couldn't be broken apart by anything, except for the manager, forty minutes of heavy snogging later. 

 

Louis reluctantly climbed off of Harry's lap (and his hard cock), and slid back into his own seat. When the flashlight was done being shined on them, and they room was empty once more, Louis glanced at Harry with a little giggle. 

 

"Did we really just get in trouble?" He asked, sliding his hand over Harry's thigh. 

 

"I think we did, baby." Harry whispered, placing his large hand over Louis' smaller one. "But there's no one else I'd rather get in trouble with than you." 

 

 

 

 


End file.
